A MidWinters Romance
by VanG Ziggy ZA
Summary: The Fire Navy invades the islands, Katara is back with her friends, but she can't forget that kiss of Zuko's, and Aang starts to get feelings for a young girl named Toph!
1. Chapter 1

Ziggy's corner: This story is a second Avatar Story, and this time it is a romance.

A MIDWINTER'S ROMANCE

The sun was shining just below the horizon as Appa, the flying bison, landed onto the soft patch of dirt near the ocean's waves. Aang was the first one off, and naturally back flipped into the icy cool waters, sighing with relief. The day had been hot, unnaturally hot for a winter's day, but the Avatar and his friends were too busy trying to soar through the clouds to evade detection from the Fire Nation to worry about anything else.

Katara was the next off the large white bison, and quickly began gathering what fruits and berries that she could find, for their dinner; glaring with blue eyes icier than the ocean's waters, at her brother, Sokka, who was the last to depart Appa's back.

During a very tense situation, when – as he tried to distract Prince Zuko's forces – he tossed all their food they had into the waters below, which were quickly consumed by hungry oceanic crocodiles. Luckily the beasts were overzealous to protect their newly acquired breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and blocked Zuko's ship from coming any nearer to the Flying Bison.

"Oh come one, like it was my fault that we lost all the food," her brother snapped, his own blue eyes shining with just amount of bitterness.

"Actually it kinda was," Aang said, grabbing onto the fin of a nearby fish and surfing on its back.

"It so was not," he screamed, stomping a booted foot into the sand, and struggling to pull it from the surface as it clung to the boot.

"Did you put the sack of food near the back of Appa's saddle?" Katara asked, not bothering to look at her brother.

"Well, yes I did, but --," he began, still trying to pull the sand from his boot.

"Weren't you the one playing with your boomerang, trying to act so macho?" she interrupted him, grunting as she pulled a stubborn string of berries, off their branch.

"It's called training," he snarled, finally freeing himself from the dirt.

"And wasn't it your boomerang, that it the Fire soldier on Zuko's ship in the head, giving off our location?"

"Well, yeah, but it's not like I planned that, and besides, it was a Fire Nation soldier, he kind of deserved it, don't you think?"

"Right, let's not wait for Zuko to actually find us," she said her voice laced with sarcasm, "let's just put up a great big sign that reads, 'Hey Hot Head, look above you, the Avatar and his friends are right up here!'"

At the statement, Aang leapt off the fish and started cackling, "Good one, Katara," he said with a grin.

"Oh come on," Sokka wailed. "How is _that_ my fault for losing the food?"

"Who's the one who started screaming, 'The Fire Nation's found us, hit the deck,' the minute Zuko's ship started firing at us, and knocked the food out of Appa's saddle and into the water?"

There was an uncomfortable silence for a long time, and when Sokka finally managed to open his mouth, it was shut tight as his sister tossed a few bits of timber at him. "Okay 'great warrior' go and get us some fire wood for our dinner tonight."

Sokka looked at the food she had gathered and back at her. "Berries? You're going to roast berries?"

"They're Bartram berries," she snapped. "They have to be cooked, or otherwise they can't be eaten. Trying to eat one raw is like biting into a rock." She turned away from him and smirked. "Honestly Sokka, I would have thought that such a glorious 'soldier' like you would have known that."

"Oh come on, don't you think you are getting a little too overdramatic?" he asked, walking up to her and snatching a berries form her hand.

"Um, Sokka," Aang, started, but he hesitated as Katara held up a hand, with a smirk. They watched him lick his lips and open his mouth wide. Aang couldn't watch anymore than that, and put his hands over his eyes, but the loud crack and Sokka screeching like a banshee told him all he needed to know.

"Told you," Katara snickered, "they need to be cooked." She picked up the timber and handed it back to him. "Now if you don't mind?"

Sokka scowled at her for a moment, and seized the wood from her, piling it into a perfect circle away from the water, but not to close to the woods either, and headed into them, holding a painful cheek and moaning the whole time.

A few hours later, the three friends had eaten their fill, along with Appa and Aang's pet lemur, Momo. Aang and Sokka put out the fire and lay on the beach staring up at the stars. "Tomorrows the Solstice," Aang said lost in thought.

"Yeah it is," Katara said, seeming looking into the sky as if it could show her the past.

"I nearly forgot about that," Sokka said. He smiled and blinked his turquoise eyes. "You remember when we were kids and mom and dad were still around, how excited we'd get when the first day of Solstice."

"Yeah," she sighed. The food, the friends, and once in awhile, when they could afford it, the present each one would give, or get. But that was before their village got involved with the war, and they lost their mother, their father somewhere off fighting the Fire Lord somewhere in the Earth Kingdom, if he was still alive that was.

"In the Air Temples, we used to have large feasts, and a party, and even wonderful game," Aang said, sighing, his eyes glazing over at the thought of the memories. "Even the sternest and crabbiest of the monks would have a great time. And then we'd decorate the air tree, and its lights could be seen for miles, and miles." For a moment he stopped and thought, and then pulled himself to his knees. "But maybe that's what helped the Fire Nation find the Temples, and destroy the air benders."

"Aang, you shouldn't say things like that," Katara snapped, pulling herself up and dusting off her light blue robes.

"The Fire Nation started the war after the comet came, right?" Sokka said. "Well, that was in the summer, so they probably found the temples right after that --," two things stopped him from continuing, one; realization of what he was saying, and two, Katara's own evil glare in his direction.

"Thank you mister sensitivity," Katara snarled. Using her mind she grasped a thread of water from the Ocean and whipped it at his head, knocking her older brother back to his back. The young girl edged toward the twelve year old avatar, and gently put her hands on his shoulders. "Aang, there was nothing you could do; there wasn't anything anyone could do to stop them. I know you miss them but," she stopped and looked at his sorrowful grin.

"Thanks, Katara, but if you don't mind, I think I'd like to be alone right now," he eased away from her and stood up, straightening his orange and tan air bending monk's uniform. Before either of them could stop him, Aang used his powers to create a ball of wind, and road off on it, into the woods."

Katara called after him, but there was nothing. Her heart began to pound, and she looked at her brother, who sleepily looked at her and the woods. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she shouted. Katara tore to her feet and began racing into the woods.

"Hey, wait a minute, he said he wanted to be alone, I don't think --," the South Water Nation teen and warrior pulled sleep from his eyes and unsteadily rose to his feet.

"That's just your problem," he heard her hiss with venom from just outside his vision.

Sokka picked up his boomerang, thankful that one of Zuko's guards had tossed it back at him in disgust, and that he had caught it. "Stubborn, pig headed, know it all, girl," he hissed. "Thinks she's so much better than me." He groaned, looking at his match and sighed. No sense in letting them _both _get into trouble. Aang could probably get out of it, he said he knew the island, that he'd visited it over a hundred years ago, but Katara, she was strong, but sometimes as blind as a mule. With sleep vanished, and his muscles flexing on adrenaline, Sokka raced into the woods.

/ 

Elsewhere in the woods, a small battalion of Fire Nation Warriors were camped, along with them, the Prince Zuko, the son of the Fire Lord, and one time Heir to the Kingdom. Zuko had a sense of pride and devotion to his nation, not so much his father anymore – though he would give anything to reconnect with him. And that devotion was only overshadowed by his zeal and fanatical intentions of capturing the avatar, and bringing him back to his father. Only once the avatar was caught, would he be allowed back into the ranks of the royal family, only once caught could the Fire Nation win the hundred year war they started without fear of opposition.

True, the Earth Nation had stymied them for a long thirty-five years, but their forces were growing thin, and even their capital, a massively built walled city that looked like it sat on four mountains, looked strained under constant assault. The last true time they had managed to forced any Fire Nation army past the borders of its city limits was over ten in a half years ago. A year ago General Tzu Indicia died of pneumonia, and the morale of the Earth Nation soldiers began to drop ever since. Then the damned avatar returned and they began reclaiming hope!

The prince stalked toward a lonely stump and scowled at the cold, lifeless earth beneath his feet, away from the gaiety and laughter of his men, and the warmth of the bone fire they had created. His scar over his left eye began aching, and he reached up to soothe it, but then let his hand drop. It was his father who gave this to him, a reward for defending his father's soldiers, speaking out against use fresh recruits against well trained men in order to create a distraction; and then refusing to fight his father in the arena for his speaking out against the devious plan.

_Am I truly as weak as he says? Uncle says I am one of the strongest men he has ever seen, and yet, the ruler of our own kingdom disputes him._ Zuko groaned weakly, refusing to let himself cry.

"What are you doing here, Prince Zuko, when you're men are celebrating by the fire?" a warm and aged voice asked. His uncle had known the boy had heard him approach, as his body had tightened and relaxed as he realized who had been coming his way.

"I wish to be alone, uncle," the teenager said, under his breath.

"Come now, Prince Zuko," his uncle tried again, placing a warm hand on his shoulder. "It's nearly Solstice."

"You're point is?" the prince roared, ripping away from his uncle's grasp. "I don't have time to celebrate silly holidays when the avatar is on the loose, and Admiral Zhao keeps hounding my efforts to catch him." The boy spun on his heels and looked at the sad and elderly eyes of his uncle. The boy's chest rose and fell, and he narrowed his eyes, before he blew out a puff of flames, and sat back on the stump, putting a hand on his chin.

"But you used to enjoy it," his uncle said. "And you've been working too hard."

"None of us have been working hard enough," the prince growled, turning his nearly bald head back and forth, his brown hair he had tied in a long pony tail upwards. "I don't even remember the last Solstice I enjoyed."

"It seems to me that I do," his uncle said tenderly, stroking his gray hair.

"If you are going to bring up, what I think you are, don't waste your breath," the prince hissed. He rose to his feet and flexed his fingers. "I'm going to bed now. Tell the men they may have one day off, but then we are going back after the avatar."

He began to stomp to his tent when a flash of motion caught his eye. The prince stood motionless for a moment, and narrowed his eyes. There was something in the wood, or someone. A small figure, probably around ten or perhaps older, but not nearly a teenager, and the prince caught his breath, arching forward for a better glance. The figure was riding on something, pure white and cold blue. A moment later, with a snarling smile he recognized it, and turned to his uncle.

"Rally the men, uncle. The avatar is in the woods," he spun on his heels, and began racing into the woods, after the boy.

"Prince Zuko, really I think you truly have been working too har--," his uncle began, when he heard a young girl's voice call out to the avatar. "Then again, maybe not."

If it had been up to him, he would have let bygones be bygones, and let the avatar celebrate the Solstice for the night, or perhaps longer; as well as his men, but the prince had too much of his father, in him to let bygones be bygones. Reluctantly he turned to the camp and shouted out a command. Instantly the Fire Nation soldiers grabbed their weapons and followed the elderly man after their prince, to try and catch a prize.

/ 

"Aang," Katara called out. She had followed him and called his name for the last half hour so much, that the avatar began meditating to drone her out. It was only after he heard the desperation in her voice that he began listening again, and the words that he realized what they now meant.

"Aang, its Zuko, the Fire Nation is _here!_" She cried.

He spun around on his air ball, and watched as she and Sokka turned to confront their opponents. The first thing he saw, was Prince Zuko, sword drawn rushing toward the two Water Nation warriors, and of course, to himself. Sokka had already raised his boomerang, and Katara was slowly backing up, pulling her water jug from her belt. Then twenty well armed Fire Nation soldiers ran up the hill, and slid to a stop as Zuko raised his arm.

"It is over Avatar," the prince snapped with a smug grin. "You're closed in, there's no where to move, and you can't use your glider to escape, not with all these trees overhead, and even if you could, my archers would bring you down faster than a rock."

"Why don't you just leave us alone?" Aang snapped. "It's Solstice."

"Yes, and you will be the perfect gift to my father," the prince chuckled. His men began to creep closer to the three, their weapons gleaming in the starlight.

"Don't you even have a heart?" Katara cried. "What would your mother think of you?"

Gone was the sure smug of Zuko. Replaced was a shocked grimace, and then absolute rage. "Don't you ever mention my mother," he snarled under his breath. The teenage prince lowered his arm and rushed at the three, followed by his men, howling with carnal frenzy.

The battle had begun, and Aang knew it would end just as fast at it had started. The three of them might have had a fighting chance in an open space, but closed in like this, there was not much to do but dodge, use air bending – water bending in Katara's case – and hope that they could cause enough headaches before being overwhelmed.

Aang would have sworn, if he hadn't been brought up by a group of men who had devoted them selves against such a sin, and if he hadn't been only twelve – well technically he was one hundred and twelve, trapped in ice for over a hundred years, but as far as he was concerned he was still twelve. He knocked over four soldiers rushing toward him, and flung another into the air with a tornado. Sokka had managed to drop two of Zuko's archers, and Katara was doing pretty well herself, but somehow for every soldier dropped, ten more took his place.

And then there was Zuko himself. No matter how many times Aang managed to dodge him, or block his blows with his air staff, he was right back there, right in his face. Aang managed to take the fight to the trees, hoping to leap up high enough that he could blow his bison whistle, and have Appa hover over head, so they could make their escape, but Zuko somehow managed to anticipate that, and blocked him off each direction he went.

Finally both of them knew weapons would not be enough. Fists and legs began to fly, streaking out beneath a midnight sky. Aang hit Zuko straight in his chest, and then used his air bending to launch himself into the air, to perform a back brain kick. Zuko dropped to the ground, face first, and it looked as if the battle had ended right there. But the crafty prince rose to his feet yet again, rubbing the back of his head.

_At least I gave him a headache._ Aang leapt into the air, and was halfway up the woods, when a splinter of fire slammed him in the back, and the prince leapt from tree to tree in a zigzag motion, finally catching the boy in between his legs, and dropped him down to the ground. At the last minute, Aang managed to hold out an arm, to block the blow to his head. And it worked, except for the river of pure agony that raced from his wrist all the way down to his elbow, and the sickening sound of a crack.

He felt woozy, and could hear both Katara and Sokka call his name. He could taste blood ooze from his nose and trickle into his mouth, filling it with bitter irony distaste. Aang's chest hurt and he didn't doubt that he had probably broken a rib or two, but the main concern was his right arm. If there was any doubt that his ribs were broke, there was completely no doubt about his arm. It hung by his side as he pulled himself to his feet, like a rag doll, swinging in the gentle breeze like a snapped branch, still clinging to a tree. His eyes though, there was nothing broken in those. They were filled with sorrow for Zuko's rage, but also determination not to let his friends down.

"Why. Won't. You. Stay. Down?" Prince Zuko snarled, digging his nails into the palms of his hands.

"Probably for the same reasons you won't," Aang responded with a deep, dangerously low tone.

That was too much for the prince. In an insane act of fury, flames burst from his hands, and before his uncle could warn him, he slammed them into the ground. It protested for a moment, before groaning, and splitting in two. The next thing Aang knew, he was dropping, falling off a cliff that he had no idea was even behind them, so caught up in the combat. He heard his friends call out, and spotted them tearing away from the enemy lines, racing toward him. Sokka had leapt over the cliff, soaring toward him, and Katara was gaining towards the end of the line. Below him he could see the dark waves of the ocean, and right above that a pretty cloud, just _hovering_ there.

Wait, a pretty cloud? With horns and a big black nose, and an air bender air painted on its forehead? _Appa!_ Aang could hear the prince order his men to follow them, to get to the ships; that was good, it had to mean his friends were safe. And they'd all fly away on Appa, and get far away from the island. Aang smiled, and felt darkness caress him as he closed his eyes.

/ 

She was almost there; she could see the edge of the cliff. Zuko roared in outrage looking down where Aang and her brother had either dropped or jumped, paying absolutely no attention to her at all. One more step and she would join them. It was a step she was not fated to take.

A strong hand clutched her arm and spun her to the ground, refusing to let go. The girl screamed, and tried to pull away, but the fingers tightened around her arm. Katara used water bending, but was blown away with a hot gust of wind. She looked up, expecting to see Zuko staring at her, but in truth it was far worse. Admiral Zhao looked down, and then off into the distance, as Appa flew toward the moon, both Aang and Sokka lying motionless as the bison soared away. A lesser woman would have cried out to the animal, to come back and help her, but Aang was hurt, and was in no condition to continue to fight, and Sokka didn't look any better.

_At least they got away_, she thought.

The admiral watched the bison disappear into the darkness and turned to her with a smirk. "Well, not the Solstice gift I was hoping for, but you'll do, _for now_." The girl looked into his deep, dark eyes and felt a fear that she had never felt before.


	2. Chapter 2

Ziggy's Corner: In Scottish Accent Great Ghost of William Wallace! 10 reviews! I've yet to get this many in any of my other stories – although my Witch Hunter Robin story and Sly Cooper story are catching up with nine reviews each; . But still this is totally wicked! back in normal voice Well I guess I must have done something right, Lol. And for all I know I may have even more reviews in my relative's internet connect! Though I'd like to make one apology, you see I forgot about episodes 7 & 8, where Aang meets with Roku's spirit on the Solstice, for some reason I thought it happened before the Solstice. Also Zhao wasn't an admiral until way after the Solstice in the cartoon series not to mention they didn't run into Jet until afterwards and yes he is going to play a major role in my story. So this story is about 4 AU, though I'm sure most of you won't mind.

Well, I'm pleased you all liked the first one so much, and hope you enjoy the second one just as well. The second chapter opens up a day in a half after the first one ends. Here it is:

Katara slowly opened her eyes and looked around the dusty old cell that Zhao had put her in, after capturing her. The fourteen year old girl shivered, and stroked her bare arms, grimacing as the pain of the bruises on them flooded her body. There was precious little light in the prison, and she could still hear the wails of the Snow ravens, from their perches in the trees next to the building where she was being kept. So it was still either night, or early morning.

The water bender rose to her bare feet, and half glided, half limped to the bars at the window, peering out of it, into the blackness of the wide open space that called to her like it called to an caged thing. Her eyes began to water as thoughts of the last thirty three hours poured back into her mind.

When Admiral Zhao brought her here, under massive armed escort, her heart had sunk to the pits of Hades. The prison was huge, massive, by all rights should not have even been built on an island this size. Its walls were redder than the Fire Nation's soldiers' uniforms, with only a dozen or so windows. Katara had braced herself for serious interrogation, even torture, but that wouldn't come ... yet. The admiral treated her like a guest, had his crew and servants dress her in the finest clothes, give her the finest foods. Had she been Sokka, the sight of the food would have opened up a lot of doors, not all of them, but a heck of a lot!

Zhao had her brought to dinner that very night, with some other dignitaries, none of which were Zuko, or his uncle, who the admiral regarded to openly as disgraces and total embarrassments to the kingdom. The only reason he hadn't arrested them, was because he had the "perfect tool" to pry out the avatar and her brother from hiding. There were many questions for her, as to where her group had been planning to go, where did she think the bison would take Aang and Sokka after the battle by the cliff, where were she and her brother from, where had they found the avatar? Katara told the admiral only that she was from the Water Nation, and that was all.

Then came the comment that nearly bowled her over. Zhao stared right at her and smiled, stroking his long, thick sideburns. "You have very beautiful eyes," he said in a soothing voice. "Do you know that?"

Katara tried to speak, but couldn't. The room was thick with suspicion and fear, especially fear, but now what was this! She had frowned, and leaned against her chair, pulling against the silk fabric of the light orange dress she was wearing. _Orange, yeck._ "What are you getting at?" she finally managed to blurt out.

Zhao eyed her one more time, ignoring the equally shocked glances from the other adult patrons in the room. Was this Fire Admiral coming on to the girl? Did he have some kind of Lolita complex? A quick glare from his quiet eyes put all thoughts from their minds, as if they were afraid that he could read them.

He had turned back to her and smiled. "I've only seen eyes as blue as those on only one other person, a water bender from a southern village," he said, smiling. His smile only grew wider as she started to push herself from the table, only to have guards move to make sure she didn't run. "She wore that very same dress as well," he cooed. "And had her hair made up in the same fashion as you do right now," he pointed his finger at her dark brown hair, which Zhao's servants had dressed up to make her look more like a duchess than the water nation simple girl she truly was.

Katara remembered turning her face from those eyes, those hateful, vile orbs in his head, filled with ambition, hate, prejudice, lust, but very little anything else. But her heart had started to pound. Could he be talking about her mother?

Zhao rose from his seat and walked back to her, his smile never leaving his face. "When I an ensign in the navy we came across a woman who looks just like you. She even had the same mistrust as you for me." He eyed her body and stood up, his lips turning into a bitter snarl. "Of course, she would not tell us anything we wanted to know either, and in the end," he sighed and shrugged. Then he laughed, "At least Prince Zuko got a nice gift that month, courtesy of me." He was grinning again, as she turned to him, her eyes filled with shock, dread, and hate.

"You were the one to kill my mother?" she hissed in a very low tone.

Zhao still smiled and folded his hands behind his back as he turned from her. "No, I was the one to give the _order_."

It was too much for poor Katara. Nothing in her mind was human at that moment, and the only emotion she felt was as hot as Sozen's comet was. "You butcher," she roared, leaping from her chair, her fingers arching into claws – headed for his throat. The guards raced to stop her, but Katara took what water bending she knew and used in on the wine in the glasses on the banquet table and used them as whips against them, scattering the dignitaries into the far corners of the room.

Zhao must have expected such a reaction, in fact must have planned to make the girl act this way. He was laughing as he turned around, and grasped both wrists in his strong hands like they were iron shackles. "It was during the Solstice, a few years ago," he continued, his face dropping into a mask of pure seriousness. "All she had to do was tell us where a band of Earth Nation rebels were hiding out," he began to shake her like a piece of wet laundry. "But she wouldn't. Because it was the holiday, we decided to treat her like an actual person, but it proved in vein," he chuckled and shoved the girl to the floor. "Much like it has proven with you." He shrugged and motioned to the remaining standing guards to take her away. "I was hoping that you might be different, smarter than her Katara, but I guess stubbornness and stupidity run in your family."

The guards hauled her away and almost immediately the torture began. They returned her old clothes, and then lead her away to a rack, where for two hours they stretched her to gain answers. Katara screamed, but only for a few minutes, drowning the pain with her thoughts of how her brother and Aang were doing. After that had failed to produce any answer, they pushed her into a tub of ice cold water, joking amongst themselves that it would be interesting to see if a water bender could breathe underwater. One of the thugs even tickled her stomach till she laughed and gagged up water. All that produced was the thug nearly losing two of his fingers to her teeth.

Katara leaned back and chuckled about that, Sokka could have warned him had he been there – maybe. Her older brother nearly lost all his fingers, on more than one occasion, as well as a broken knee, and a sore wrist anytime he had tried to tickle his sister. He once even joked that there should be a warning label on her that said, "Warning, dangerous when tickled."

The torture was increased after that. Zhao had her put in a pillory, and allowed her men to harass her as much as they wanted, so long as they did not defile her, or strike her face. There she spent the afternoon gritting her teeth as they poured water that was even colder than the first bucket. She didn't doubt she'd catch a monster of a cold after that. They tossed tomatoes at her, and other fruits and vegetables, whatever they could find.

Katara spent the next five hours there, with nothing to eat, and only drops of water to drink. When that failed to produce any affect, Zhao had her feet placed in a stone vice, and had his men turn the lever. Slowly the sides of the vice closed in on her ankles, until she could feel the tight pressure on them, and tears poured down her cheeks. At that point, she broke down and told the admiral information – but not the kind he really wanted. She poured out her heart where she was from, the names of her friends back home, and the directions to where they could be found. Except she changed the names of her friends, the village, and where to find it, if the Fire nation would go looking where she said to, they'd find themselves near a particularly nasty whirlpool, which was thirty miles northeast of her village. By then the village would be able to see any ships coming from that direction and would be able to properly prepare.

Admiral Zhao's temper was too great for him to hold inside. His eyes grew dark, beyond lifeless, they seemed like mirrored portals to the underworld, and the grave. His body never shook, his face never changed, but the air around him seemed to grow hotter with each second.

"I've tried to be nice," he said calmly. "But if you refuse to listen, even after this, then I have no choice but to get serious." He turned to his men, who stood like toy soldiers before a child ready to launch a rocket into their ranks. "Take her to the upper dungeons, and remove all her clothing but her underwear. We'll see if that opens her mouth," he looked at the miserable girl and narrowed his eyes. "If that doesn't work, then as of tomorrow, I want her tied to the pillar outside and have her scourged."

Katara hadn't been the only one to gasp at the admiral's words. But his eyes would not let any dissenter speak, however that didn't stop one of the commanders from trying his very best.

"S-sir, are you sure you know what you are saying?" the baby faced commander asked, his eyes as wide as a doe realizing it was facing down a hunter but knowing it must go to the brook to drink.

Zhao did nothing but stare at him, his arms behind his back. "I'm sorry, do you have a point you wanted to make?" There was no mistaking the tone in his voice. A penguin would have frozen at such temperatures.

Still "the doe" attempted to be brave and "march forward". "Sir, Admiral Zhao, sir," he began, his voice at first stuttering, and then growing stronger with each word, "what you are proposing is inhumane, you do realize that don't you?"

Zhao walked up to him, very calmly and stared the shorter man right in the eyes, "What I realize, is that a subordinate of mine feels free to tell me what he thinks is right and wrong," Zhao said with a savage grin. With blinding speed, the admiral knocked the lower officer to the ground and glared up at him. With a free hand he snatched his collar, and motioned another one of the guards to take him away. "Have him warm up the pillar for tomorrow," he snapped.

"You really are a monster," Katara growled, trying to choke him with her mind.

The admiral chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair. "You have no idea how many people say that to me," he began to walk off, turned slightly and grinned. "Particularly your mother."

/ 

"Sir, you want me to do what?" Commander Benjiro asked, nearly leaping out of his skin.

"I want the men to go to the surrounding islands, and announce the water bender's scourging. I want the major leaders from each of the islands gathered together and brought here for it." Admiral Zhao looked up, smiling at his officer.

"Sir, might I remind you that the people really hate us right now, a public torture would only arouse rebellion."

"I'm not doing it as an example, commander," Zhao snapped. He rose to his feet and smiled for a moment as the screams of the tortured officer and the snaps of the whips trickled into the room. "I'm doing it for the avatar, and her brother." When his commander frowned, Zhao sighed and began pacing his room in rhythm to the cracks of the whips and the screams floating from down below.

"Think, the avatar's bison escaped us, but must have known that the boy and the water bender's brother would want to rescue the girl," he began. "So he would have probably gone by a nearby island close to this one. When the avatar and the girl's brother learn what we plan to do to her . . .," his voice trailed off.

"They will come to rescue her," his commander said, starting to understand his superior's reasoning.

"Exactly," Zhao said with a wicked grin. "We'll have all three of them right in the palms of our hands, and that as they say, will be check mate." The admiral returned to his desk and took a mug of some kind of thick, light yellow liquid with brown specks and sipped from it, his smile growing wider.

"Forgive me for asking sir," Commander Benjiro said, his dark green eyes narrowing on the cup, "But what exactly is that?"

"A national treasure that belonged to some of my Earth Nation servants," the admiral replied, relishing the drink. "They call it, 'Grog'. It's made from whipped egg whites, cinnamon spices, and whatever ale they can find to add to it." He smiled again and sipped the frothy delicacy. "I hear their children drink it as well, without the ale, and with added sugar and cinnamon, sometimes using gingerbread in it as well."

"A Solstice type drink, unless I miss my guess, correct sir?"

"Very astute of you, commander," the admiral rose to his feet, finishing the last of his drink and then handed the subordinate the papers. "Now, you have a mission to do, please see to it."

Commander Benjiro nodded his head, saluted as he received the papers, and went to leave the office, but then hesitated. "One last thing sir?"

Zhao looked at him and rose and eyebrow.

"We both know that you didn't meet the girl's mother while stationed on a Fire Nation ship, why did you tell her that?"

"That we'll leave for another day, commander," Zhao said with a dangerously sly smile.

/ 

And so it was that Katara spent her first real night as an actual "captive" listening to the cries of the one Fire Nation soldier who had dared to go against the Oni that was determined to break her will. She closed her eyes, holding her hands over her ears shuddering in the cold until she fell asleep, and now that she was awake, there was nothing out there but pitch black shadows.

The water bender straightened out her light blue tee shirt over her panties, and huddled in the darkest corner she could find. _Maybe if I pull myself in as close to this corner as I can, they won't find me, should they come at night?_ She bit her lip and sighed, no that was childish in thinking, like a two year old covering their eyes with their hands, thinking if they couldn't see anyone, no one could see them.

And it was too cold to stay in one spot anyway. She limped back and forth, listening occasionally at the door of her cell as guards switched spots and took over their sentinels at the door. She began timing it, and realized it happened over other hour in a half. By the time the fourth change of guards occurred, the sun had started to slowly rise. Katara swallowed and pushed herself away from the door, knowing her time was running out.

Where were Aang and Sokka? Were they still unconscious, hurt, or dead? Katara battered her head back and forth to shake the last thought from her mind. No, they could not possibly be dead. They just . . . couldn't. She slumped to the floor, and held her knees to her chest, ignoring the pain. There was no way they could have forgotten about her either. Neither Aang, nor Sokka would do that to her, and Appa would've sat on them if they ever had. _So, where are they then?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a major commotion coming right outside of her door. She could hear men groaning, metal on metal, and could feel heat from flames. She frowned, what was going on? Slowly she approached her door, and peered out of the tiny rectangular slat that was used for the guards to look in at her, or her to look at them.

Where there should have been guards, there was now nothing but empty space, with light from the ever rising sun filtering in. Katara blinked and stroked her brown hair. "Hello?"

The lock on the door clicked, and the water bender leapt feet into the air and back quite a distance from it. After the door unlocked, there was an uncomfortable time of silence, and then the door burst open. Standing on the other side, over the unconscious bodies of the guards, was a tall figure dressed in black, and wearing a light blue Oni mask.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, holding her arms next to her scantily clad body. The figure stood there for a moment, its head cocked to one side, as if to decide what action would be the best, and then pulled off its cloak and tossed over Katara, wrapping it around her body, and scooping her up in one solid movement. "Hey, what are you doing?" She tried to kick and hit the figure, but the figures cloak was tied tight around her, making a cocoon, trapping her inside.

The figure, whoever he was, dashed to the back of her cell, and with a toss of his hands, threw three green orbs at the wall, sending it collapsing into the outside world. He stopped a moment, listening to the screams of confusion and rage that was heading their way and sighed. He turned to Katara and studied her.

"Hang on," he said, his voice muffled by the mask.

_Yeah right, like my hands can hold on to anything with this cloak tied around me._ "What _are_ you doing?" She looked at the broken wall, and then back at the masked figure. "You're not thinking of doing what I think you are?" Who was this maniac?

"Would you rather stay and be scourged?" he asked. He saw her frown at him, as if studying his voice, and turned away. "Make your choice, and hurry."

"Fine, I guess we don't have much choice," she sighed. The masked figure seemed to chuckle, and leapt into the air, landing on the side of mountain where the fortress was built. He pressed the girl tighter against him with one arm, and Katara began to blush. Only being so close to Jet had caused her to feel so girly, and he'd turned out to be a complete lunatic! So then who the heck was this guy anyway, and why did his voice seem so familiar?

The two of them sled down the mountain, dodging flying arrows, and fire blasts that sailed down over their heads from above. Somewhere up there, she could hear the frustrated screams of Zhao, and that made her smile a little. At least she was out of that monster's hands.

Finally they landed on the ground, and the figure took off like a bat out of hell, running like the wind was his servant, like the forest that was providing them with excellent coverage was his slave. Before Katara knew what was happening the figure was rushing off to the beach, where a small boat was waiting for them. The figure tossed her in, making sure not to hit her head, and then pushed the boat out into the ocean, and began rowing. It took only ten minutes before they could no longer see the coast of the island, and still he was rowing like a maniac.

Fifteen minutes later, the teenage water bender could see a large shadow fall over the boat, and as she looked up, she could see a large white bison flying past them. Her eyes grew wide, and she began calling out, begging the masked figure to stop, that her friends were there to save her, but he ignored her, and they could not hear her from so high up.

It wasn't long before Katara could tell why he had ignored her either. A large ship was starting to grow on the horizon, a dark ship spewing black smoke, and filled to the brim with Fire Nation soldiers. It was a ship Katara knew. She gasped, and turned to the masked man who had now stopped rowing, and was removing his mask.

"Welcome to my home," Prince Zuko said, his voice cold and determined.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Ziggy's corner: Okay, this is chapter three. So far I've been very happy with how this series has played out, and so far I hope I keep hitting grand slams with it! I now have eleven reviews for chapter one, so who knows, this could get to triple digits by the time the story finally ends! My Witch Hunter Robin story has finally reached double digits too, but this story still has the most. This chapter opens up just two hours before chapter two ends, and gets right into the action, what action I know how to write (apologies to the Avatar supreme fans, I'm not very good at that type of crazy action,) just a few paragraphs after that._**

Sokka had woken up nearly ten hours after falling into Appa's saddle, and Aang had woken just four hours after that. Just as the admiral had surmised, the flying bison had decided to hide in a nearby island, until the two warriors could awake, and they could make their next plans. At first Sokka had been enraged at his sister's abandonment, and would have loved to taken his fury out on the bison, but Aang managed to talk sense into him. They had a late lunch and rested, until they ate again.

The day after that, Sokka snuck into a nearby village, and secretly bought some supplies, and to hear what news he could about his sister, he really did not think that he would hear anything, the Fire Nation must have either executed her right off the bat, or taken her far, far away. But he had struck gold when an old woman, the wife of the elder of the village announced in hushed tones to her friend, that her husband was to leave for the very island that Appa fled from that night. A prisoner, a water bender was going to be publicly scourged that same morning.

Sokka raced back to their camp as if the flames of the underworld were on his heels, and told Aang what he had heard. Neither of them was in fighting condition, but neither would let Katara go through that. With the blink of an eye they packed up camp, and headed right for the island.

It was a little past five o'clock in the morning when they arrived near the island, and both of them could tell something was not right. Hoards of Fire Nation soldiers were screaming orders, and rushing to boats, heading for the ocean. Admiral Zhao seemed to be having a stroke, and from what they could hear was demanding who was responsible for letting some kind of agent break the girl out of prison.

"So, she's free," Aang said, a big child like grin spreading across his face.

"Yeah, but we still don't know who freed her, or why," Sokka said, turning Appa's reins back, so the bison would avoid being seen. His face was covered with bruises, and he looked a little like a brown raspberry than he did Sokka. "And we don't know where they are right now."

Aang lowered his head, as if in prayer, and sighed. _At least she's safe._ "Well, she just barely escaped, from the sound of it, so perhaps she's not too far off. And the Fire Nation is heading out to sea, in that direction," he said pointing to the armada of boats, "so it's a safe bet that's where Katara went."

Sokka thought for a moment, and then laughed, socking Aang in his shoulder playfully. A second later he gasped and chuckled again, rubbing his head as he blushed. The teenage water warrior had forgotten about the avatar's broken arm, which was resting in a sling. "Sorry," he murmured.

Aang shot him a scornful look, and then smirked. "Be glad Katara's not here right now, she'd bust your arm for that," he giggled.

Sokka smiled and exhaled his breath in a puff of frozen smoke. "Yeah she probably would," he joked. "Well, at least nothing else can go wrong."

As if on cue, they heard someone from down below call out, and shout about the avatar. There was confusion on the sea, and on the island, before a hail of fire stones began raining down on them. The fire stones were so thick that the sky itself smelled of burnt rock and looked liked as if the sky was bleeding red goop.

"Aw come on, give us one break," Sokka wailed, looking up to the skies, "it's the holiday." He ground his teeth and heaved and yanked the reins this way and that, avoiding the deadly, flaming balls. Sweat began to pour down his forehead, and he could feel his muscles groan and cry as he pulled them in ways they did not want to go. Appa grunted and wailed, as the balls' heat singed his fur, and temporarily blinded him with each flash of light.

"This is getting crazy," he shouted, over cannon fire and catapults flinging their deadly cargo. He turned to look at his young companion, and felt his jaw drop. "What are you doing!"

Aang was standing in the edge of Appa's saddle, using his one good arm to create burst of air to either shield them from the enemy's ammo, or shoot back balls of air, down at the ships and the island, which was acting like a yo-yo, swaying back and forth on the horizon as they served back and forth between the deadly man made comets. "I have to try something to help," he called back, his clothes completely drenched, his skin a pasty gray.

"You're going to kill yourself, using all that energy," Sokka snarled. The teenager released one of his hands from the reins and tried to pull the avatar to his butt, to protect him. "Aang, you're not strong enough right now to use this much air bending!"

"If I die, at least it won't be by the hands of the creeps who want to martyr me," the boy snapped back, back flipping away from his friend's hand.

"Oh, that makes sense," Sokka growled. "Let's do the Fire Nation's job for them!"

"If you don't want me to get killed then get us out of here," Aang growled, twirling his staff between his fingers, creating miniature tornados, causing all sorts of havoc with the ships.

"What the heck do you think I've been trying to do!" Sokka roared back. He swore under his breath, and narrowed his gaze to the largest of the Fire Nation ships, the _Dominator_, Zhao's ship. There on board he could spy an ant that looked very much like the admiral himself, laughing and shooting up flaming "fungus" balls of death from his fists. "Look I'm going to try and take cover in some of those clouds," he said, pointing at medium sized puffy formations just in front of them.

"We aren't going to make it to them," Aang roared, his heart racing as his muscles strained. "Try dive bombing them."

Sokka thought that he had finally lost his hearing, "Dive bomb them! You're insane aren't you?"

"Those are storm clouds over there, Sokka," Aang said, collapsing to the saddle, his energy spent. "If we tried to hide in them, we'd become cooked ducks. Appa can temporarily hold his breath. If we go under them, we could sail past them and go after Katara that way."

The fire balls had some what stopped soaring, but that was only so the Fire Navy could load their more lethal weapons. Sokka looked at his young companion, and then back at the navy. "Even if he could hold his breath a long time, _we_ can't."

"We can if I create an air ball for us to breathe in," Aang shot back. The weapons were flung with a loud explosion, and gigantic weapons of destruction flung toward them.

"You don't have that kind of strength right now," Sokka growled. He twisted Appa's reins, and the giant bison grunted in frustration. "You could kill yourself."

"You're starting to sound like a parrot who only knows a few words of the language," the boy snapped." Besides, if we stay up here arguing too much more, and we'll both die," Aang shot back angrily. "If they catch us, we're both dead, so I don't see that we have much of a choice."

Mentally Sokka swore and looked for an alternate route of escape, seeing none he felt his shoulders collapse in surrender. "Are you sure you can pull this off?" he asked, his tone tired.

"There's only one way to know," the avatar said.

Sokka sighed and nodded his head, yanking the flying bison toward the water. There were cries of victory at first, as the Fire Nation had thought either the animal had been hit, or the avatar had decided to give up. Then the jubilant cries turned to surprise, and many of the men and women on board the ships began jumping overboard, as the animal hit the water like a ten ton boulder, and submerged, leaving a large tidal wave to take out a dozen or so ships.

Admiral Zhao watched for the animal to rise to the surface for a number of moments, and felt his anger build. "Damn it all to hell," he screamed, smashing the wooden frame of his banister he was standing next to.

"Sir," a subordinate said cautiously, "it is possible, that they are dead, sir."

"No sergeant," he growled. They're swimming under water."

"But could they breath that long?" the other man stammered.

"The bison is a large animal, he probably has large lungs," the admiral howled, flames coming from his throat. "The avatar is an air bender; he probably used a technique that allowed them to breath temporarily underwater."

The sergeant looked at his admiral and swallowed. He knew the command that was coming next, and he hated to be the one who had to give his superior officer the bad news.

"Get the submersibles ready," his admiral snapped.

The sergeant swallowed again, with difficulty this time. "Admiral Zhao, sir. We don't have any."

"What do you mean we don't have any?" Zhao said; his voice on edge.

"A few days ago an order came in from the Fire Lord, which said all available submersibles were to be sent to Lady Akikira, to the eastern front of the war."

Zhao's breath stopped and he simply stood there looking at his subordinate. "What does that maniac need them for," he roared, his fists clenched so tight that the sergeant could hear bones cracking. "She's not even with the navy, she a land general."

"Sir, we only did as commanded by Fire Lord Ozai, as was asked by Lady Akikira."

"And why was I not informed of this?" Zhao's dark eyes began to turn stormy and much more dangerous.

"The Fire Lord and Lady Akikira demanded utmost secrecy about it sir," the sergeant whimpered. His admiral growled with animalistic fury, his teeth grinding like a spice maker, and finally the poor lad found himself flat on his back, with a broken jaw.

Zhao had yet to calm down, but was determined not to let rage blind him to his ambition. "Order all ships to head to the direction of the masked individual and the girl went. That's the area the avatar and her brother are heading for anyway. With any luck, we'll get them all in one spot." He turned to leave, but was stopped by another subordinate.

"Sir, where are you going?" the older man asked.

"To write a couple of letters," the admiral snapped. "Get two carrier hawks ready to fly."

His eyes narrowed. What could that crazy witch be up to? The last time she had used ships of any kind was to lure peasant children with a promise of a ride on the lake, only to have her men blast the ships to oblivion and send all of the brats to a watery grave, and that was simply because she was bored. Zhao ground his teeth again and entered his room; the letter to her was not going to be a very G rated one. She'd be lucky if it was R rated. ****

/ 

Katara could hardly believe it; she had escaped in oven, only to be put on the frying pan. True in most instances that would have been better, but in this case, she looked at the Fire Prince and shivered. "What do you want from me?" she demanded.

"Even you couldn't be that dumb," the prince shot back, what do you think I want from you?" He stared at her for a brief second, before turning away and lowering his head.

"Ashamed of yourself? You should be," the girl snapped, as his crew hoisted her on board ship.

"My men will get you to your quarters, and give you fresh clothes to wear, and then we will talk," Zuko said, storming away, his head still hanging low.

Katara stared off after him for a moment, and then blushed slightly. He wasn't ashamed of what had had done, but was embarrassed at her clothing. Most young boys, most men for that matter would have cheeked out a barely dressed young woman with desire in their eyes until the woman was either out of sight, or until the next woman came by. Zuko was showing her some modesty. _Well . . . good for him. But he's still a jerk._

His guards, lead by his Uncle Iroh showed her to her quarters and then let her be. It wasn't exactly a four star hotel suite, but it did remind her of her jail cell when she and her brother and Aang had been captive guests at the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu. Okay the bed wasn't cushioned and looked like it belonged to a countess either, like it had in Omashu, but still it wasn't like Zhao's prison at all either. And she felt a tinge more comfortable here than there.

Her cabin was light brown, with the smell of salt, duh sense it was on board a ship at sea, and lightly decorated with symbols of the Fire Nation, and flowers. Katara frowned. _Now there were two things that didn't go together._ There were three small boxes to the far right corner of the room, probably containing food, and a small desk with paper, where she could write if she wanted. The one window of her cell was much smaller than Zhao's prison had been, and there was no way Katara could slip a message out to see with her paper if she had wanted to.

To a very far left corner, the water bender could see a descent tub, with a small bar of soap sitting at the edge of it. There was no water anywhere near by, smart since she would have used it to try and escape, or would have had she been properly dressed, but she didn't doubt that all she had to do was ask, and it would be provided to her. The young teenager looked all about, trying to see if there were any peep holes, where she could be spied on, and finally decided that there weren't any. She had just barely considered using her skills to bring in some salt water from the outside and washing herself quickly when a voice caught her attention.

"All you have to do is ask, and we'd bring you some fresh water." Katara spun around and blinked at the door, staring at the eyes of the prince's uncle. Katara held her clothes next to her body and back up, blushing a little, but he only laughed, not a vicious hungry laugh, that the admiral's men had, but tender and genuinely concerned with her well being.

"We're not all animals, my dear," he said warmly. "If you would permit me, I'll have the men send in some warm water and some clean clothes for you, then you could join my nephew and me for some lunch."

"I'm not going to tell you anything about Aang," she snapped, backing further away.

"No one said you had to," Iroh said gently. "Of course my nephew has quite a temper, so I would hold your tongue around him." He smiled, his eyes closed and his teeth white and clean. Then he chuckled and added, "Just a little bit anyway. I'm sure you have a temper that could match his." He motioned for some guards, and gave her a quizzical look.

The girl lowered her head for a moment, and then nodded. With the twist of a lock, the door opened, and the guards brought in some water, and some water bender clothes, much like she had worn and had stolen by Zhao. They looked at her bruises and gasped, turning to each other as if to ask how anyone in their nation act could so savagely. Katara would not buy the act, but allowed them to complete their mission and leave.

Iroh smiled gently yet again and nodded. "When you are ready for lunch, just let the guards know. Oh, and do not try collecting that water in any jar or container," he chuckled again. "It tends to evaporate once it has left the tub, so it would be quite useless to be used as a weapon." He waved to the girl and ordered the guards to lock the wooden slat so no one could peak in on her as she bathed.

Katara wasn't sure what to make of the Fire Nation general. She knew that he was the Fire Lord's older brother, and had lead the attack against the Earth Nation's capital, Bosing Se, only to have his men retreat after a long siege. From what she knew of him, he seemed to be very honorable, but she also knew there were very little who had that trait in the Fire Nation, and even those who had it, according to the stories, would abandon it as quickly as it suited their ambitions.

Katara removed her clothes, and slipped into the warm water, allowing her muscles to loosen and she sighed. She rested for at least thirty minutes in the wonderful liquid, and then reluctantly got out, and dressed. Just as the general had said, once the water was removed from the tub, it was gone, completely useless as a weapon. Katara sighed and tired her hair up into its normal fashion, and then knocked on the door, ready for her lunch with the prince, and for the interrogation to commence.

**_Okay, time for some review responses. Sigh, hopefully my ultimate number one fan, TheShoelessOne will review soon. (She was my first, folks )._**

**_Totallystellar: Thank you so very much. Hopefully you enjoyed these two chapters too, and I hope to have a third to update along with them come the 5th of September. _**

_**Spleef: Yeah she suffered quite a bit under Zhao's hands, but now she has to deal with Zuko's stubbornness. Or rather he has to deal with hers. Lol, gee I wonder who will have the reader's sympathy?**_

**_Purple Demise: Interesting writer's name dude, I personally like the color purple the best. Anyway thank you . . . Just thank you so much ._**

**_SilverStorm106: Well if I update on the 5th, that should be soon enough. I can not update weekly like most, because I use a relative's computer for the net, and don't normally get to go on except for ever two to three months at a wack. So I'm lucky right now._**

**_Erena G.T. Rose: LOL, well thank you so much! From your reaction to the first chapter, I guess I'd have to call you the number one fan of this story! Hopefully I have not disappointed you with these new chapters._**

**_mimazz: Well as I have told everyone so far, I plan on updating these two, possibly three chapters by the 5th of September, so hopefully that will be soon enough for you ._**

**_slipknotZuko: Another interesting writer's name, kinda kool, I likes it. Anyway, thank you for your love ._**

_**starlightz1112: Thank you so very much, I've worked hard on descriptive scenes for over ten years, even went to a writer's school for it, and my instructor told me that I was getting it very well at the point of my graduation. Hopefully you'll like this thirty year old dude's (Um, thirty year's old, does that make me creepy that I write fanfiction at this age, anybody?) new chapters.**_

**_Arwey: You, my dear, or dude if you're a guy, have my everlasting thanks! Your review gave me a great direction to take with Zhao in this storyline, one I wouldn't have thought about until you brought it up with him having a "thing" for Katara. Course in this story its only because – oops, almost spilled the beans too soon! Lol. You'se guys are going to have to wait for that bit of info. Again, Arwey, thanks ._**

_**ML7: You also inspired me a bit. I was going to let it go at the vague Christmas tree scene, but decided to add other holiday elements too it. I also plan on researching out the Solstice and seeing what other cultures do to celebrate that, so look forward to seeing much more holiday goodness in this story. Thanks for the inspiration and the comments dude, er or dudette, whichever you are Lol.**_

_**LoyalFan: Thank you, thank you very much. Damn I'm beginning to feel like Elvis at a Las Vegas concert, Lol. By now you know why I do the descriptive scenes the way I do and whatnot, so hopefully all I can wish is that you enjoyed these chapters (whether they be two or three) just as much as you enjoyed the first!**_

_**By the way, does anyone know the name of the creepy smiling woman who stood next to Iroh during Zuko's Agni Kai with his father in Episode 12 – The Storm? If she doesn't have a name, that's groovy, cause that's who I named Lady Akikira, who you all will see in a future chapter of the story. Thanks again in advance.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Ziggy's Corner: In a mixture of Scottish-Norwegian accent Great Goober! Look at all the LOVE! 32 reviews! Possibly more if the Internet didn't screw with me, and refuse to send me some more of you, like it did with my silver medal winner, the Sly Cooper Fiction, Everything's Relative. But until I find out, we'll leave it at 32, normal, Californian desert dweller accent so A MidWinters Romance is the leader of the pack. Everything's Relative has 29, and the bronze medal goes to another Avatar story, Kiss and Tell, with 22 reviews (albeit only for the first chappie, so what your back MidWinter Romancers! Lol). My Witch Hunter Robin story, The Flames of Veinica, and a third Avatar story, The Flames of Hatred make up ranks four and five, respectively. I guess this thirty year old was meant to write Avatar fiction -- course I could really go for at least one review of my other avatar story, the Fire Hunter, poor thing is really lonely, sighes ;). **_

_**Anyway, this next chapter takes place just a few minutes after the last one ended. I lost my outline a few weeks back, so the going may be slow, but I do know that there is going to be a maximum of 31 chapters for this story, a chapter for each day of December (I know, I know, the Solitise celebration only has between 3-12 days, but that's not enough for all the intrigue I wanted to write). And now that my mundane rambling is done, please enjoy the story!**_

As she sat down, the young water bender narrowed her eyes and studied the young prince, and his uncle. There was a small feast in front of her, not foods as fine or as many as what Admiral Zhao had laid out for her, and the only ones in this banquet room were Katara, the prince, and his uncle, where Zhao had practically paraded his captive around to anyone who had looked, but this situation didn't seem much more different that the other.

She picked up a small dumpling, cut it, chewed it and then pointed her fork at the prince. "Let me get right to the point," she snapped. "I am not going tell you were Aang and my brother are, even if I knew."

"That's being a little narrow minded," Zuko said, biting his cheek as he held his temper at bay. "After all, what makes you think that's why I invited you to eat?" The girl frowned and held her fork and spoon so as to look at her reflection, frowning even more as she could not see what she was looking for. "What _are_ you doing?" he snapped.

"I _must_ have the word stupid on my face somewhere, but I can't seem to find it," she cooed, resting the silverware down on the table, and giving him a cutesy smirk. Besides Zuko, his uncle coughed and sputtered as food went down the wrong way as he tried not to laugh.

"You know, I could have left you in the prison, let Admiral Zhao done with you what he wanted to," the prince scowled, slamming his own silverware onto the table. "I did you a favor."

"And now you want me to betray my friends in return for that favor, and help your country enslave the rest of the world," she continued to coo, though there was a hint of darkness growing in her voice. "Aw, aren't you just a _peach_?" The last word was filled with so much bitterness that Zuko nearly gagged on it.

Zuko rose to his feet, clenching his fists and stared at her with tight jaws. His uncle called his name, and gently put a hand on his shoulder, calming him a little, but just a little. "Look," he said his voice more at ease. "If you try to see it my way, you'd understand."

"Oh, is that so?" she said, slamming her napkin to the table. The ship rolling on the sea, as it fled Zuko did not make matters any better. "So tell me, how does enslaving all of mankind, and killing a twelve year old boy supposed to make it all better?"

"The Fire Nation wants to bring order," the teenage prince said, speaking the words that had been drilled into him since he had been two. "if we could convince the Avatar of that, convince him to join our cause, there would be no hunt."

"Sure, join our cause and enslave people, or die," Katara said, crossing her arms. "Makes perfect sense."

"We _are_ _not _enslaving people," Zuko snarled. "If you piss poor, arrogant peasants would just understand, the Fire Nation could take you so much more to a proper government that the ones you have now!

"Example, the Earth Nation kingdoms. They are divided; they have been for hundreds of years, constantly bickering among each other, even though they are of the same race. If they could be made to unite under one banner, under one 'true' king, then their people would be much better off. They have one capital, or claim to anyway, but there is no unity to it."

"You can't force people to get along," Katara shouted, slamming the palm of her hand to the table. "Peace is good, unity is a noble cause, but you Fire Nationals believe only you can bring us true peace. Forced peace is worse than false hope. Soon reality cracks through, and then you are left with chaos."

Zuko turned to his uncle and waved his arms around. "This is what I was talking about; there is no negotiating with people like her."

"Then why is it that you insisted that you rescue her?" Iroh asked his nephew, raising an eyebrow.

"I won't beat women to get information I want, and I will not allow that arrogant, freak of an admiral taking the Avatar when my father gave me that chore personally." He turned to the girl and his eyes narrowed. "That's right, I was given that task. To prove myself, to prove I could be strong. Once he's in my hand, my father will welcome be back to the kingdom with open arms."

Katara knew he was fanatic in trying to catch Aang, she knew that he wanted to prove something, but it never dawned on her that it was something like this. "If you have to prove yourself to your father so much, then either you're not much of a son, or he's not that good of a father."

Zuko stood there, his jaw dropped as he stared at her. He snarled inhumanly and his fists burst into flames as he rushed toward her, ignoring his uncle's cries of alarm. He would have incinerated the girl right here, and now, seen her screaming into the flames of the underworld for what she had said, if it had not been for his uncle's intervention. He turned to the old man, his rage growing.

"How dare you!" he roared, "You heard what she said!"

"Remember the mission, Prince Zuko," his uncle said gently, but with strong determination. "If you kill her, you are no better than Zhao, and if the Avatar found out, he'd come looking for you, yes, but on his own time, which means that he'll hide from you for a time; where you can not find him. And when he comes looking for you Zuko, you may be no match for him at all."

Zuko once again ripped himself from his uncle, his teeth gnashing as he stared at the old man. "It doesn't matter how strong he becomes, I'll be that much stronger." He turned to Katara and narrowed his eyes. She seemed frightened, but determined to defend what she had just said. "See to it that the prisoner is taken back to her quarters, and that the locks are double latched." He turned and began to walk away. "And then clean up this mess. I'm going to bed."

Katara watched him walk off, and turned to the old man, who was watching his nephew walk off. When he turned to look at her he had a mixture of irritation, as well as tender understanding of the situation. "I guess I said too much?"

He began escorting her back to her room, nodding. "Yes, young lady, you have," he said with uncharacteristic roughness in his voice. He exhaled as they walked and looked at Katara; she was hanging her head lower. Her eyes seemed sad, but fierce. "I told you to be careful of him. His temper is just as bad as yours." Then his smile spread across his face and he looked at her. "If I didn't know it, I'd have to say that someone forgot to tell me I had another niece." He chuckled at the joke as they turned the corner to her quarters.

"You have a niece too?" she asked sheepishly. "Is she anything like Zuko?"

Sadness seemed to overwhelm the gentle old man and he turned his gaze away from her. "No, I'm afraid Princess Zula is nothing like Prince Zuko."

"You seem like such a good man, sir, maybe not all Fire Benders are as evil as I used to think," she said turning to look at his face. He turned to her, and beamed with a smile so gentle that it could only belong to a saint, or a person who was flawed but was growing closer to that holy status.

"Well thank you," the former Fire General said with warm sincerity. "You're a good girl too, I can tell. I'm just sorry we had to meet in such terrible circumstances." He showed her to the room, and then closed the doors. "I would advise you to just sit comfortably as you can. When my nephew is in a foul mood, the men tend to be even moodier." He said good bye and walked away.

/ 

He was only in bed for an hour in a half, and in all that time he only slept twenty minutes. Zuko got to his feet, got dressed, and ordered his uncle and the other top officers to his quarters for a briefing. When they were all there, he had them sit and rolled out a map.

"We're making good time away from Admiral Zhao," he began. "But we don't want to get too far off, or the Avatar will be lost too." He pointed to a number of islands around the area. "Of these, which would be the best to settle down in for a couple of days, perhaps until the solstice is over?"

The men hovered over the map and consulted each other for a while, until one of them tapped a large coalition of islands just north east of their current direction. "Most of these islands are neutral, so and their large, with narrow straights and rough currents around them. A single ship or two might be able to break through that and get to them, but a fleet like the admiral has wouldn't stand a chance.

"The locals would probably not even blink an eye if a single Fire Nation ship was within their borders for a week or two. But if Admiral Zhao brought all of his ships, there might present a problem for him."

"But most of these islands don't have very strong defenses, other than the natural ones," another man said. "If Zhao were to sail his ships, one by one through those straights, it would take longer for him to reach us, but he'd still reach us. And we'd have the disadvantage of being boxed in."

"There's the problem of the people rioting, and turning against us if Zhao tries to make them suffer for us being there too," Iroh said, looking at his nephew.

"Are there any other options?" Zuko asked.

"Because there are at least twenty islands in this group, and that they're large at that, it _would_ be possible to island hop if Zhao passed through," a third man said, running his finger along the water lines. "If worse came to worse, we could travel inland through the forests and jungles of the islands too."

"But since its winter, most of the trees are barren, which doesn't give us much cover," Iroh said.

"And with the snow on the ground, it makes it that much harder to cover our tracks," the teenage prince said with a sigh. "Not to mention it will be much harder to drag along our little friend." He turned to his uncle and scowled, as the old man looked at him with pity.

"Are there any other options besides these islands?" the second man asked.

"Not without losing precious time, and being overtaken by Zhao," another man said with a shake of his head.

"Then tell the crew to prepare to head toward these islands," the prince said.

/ 

The water surrounding them was icy blue, and just as cold, even though they were encircled by air. Sokka could only gasp and ah, at the fish and the large marine mammals that swam passed them, who seemed a little taken back at these strange "fish" themselves. The young water warrior turned to the boy, holding the air around them like a shield and couldn't help but feel the power that he radiated, even though he wasn't at one hundred percent, nor was he at the height of his power even when he was at one hundred percent. It dawned on Sokka then that maybe Katara had been right when they first met this boy, maybe he really would save the world.

Aang continued to concentrate, his eyes shut tight as Appa swam through the cool water, trying desperately to elude the Fire Nation ships long enough that they could resurface and fly off into the air. Though his eyes were closed, he could see everything perfectly by the senses of smell and touch. The ships were right on their heels, maybe just a mile away, but as advanced as they were, that was not such a large distance to travel at all. There were coral and sponges below them, as they drifted further and further from the island they were attacked on, and the bottom of the ocean was growing farther and farther down. If Aang didn't think of something fast, his energy would completely leave them, and they'd sink to a very watery death. Even holding on to Appa like they were, should the air bubble dissipate, there was no way for the air bison to swim them up to the surface, high above them, in time for them to breathe.

"Aang, I know that I shouldn't distract you or anything," Sokka said, surprised and kind of giddy that he was talking underwater, "but we really need to do something about resurfacing soon, don't you think? I mean, those ships are a little ways back, so even if we went back to the air, their weapons shouldn't be able to hit us."

The boy avatar didn't speak a word to his friend, but he knew that Sokka was right. Still if they appeared before they were ready too, they might not lose Zhao and his fleet. He'd follow the direction they disappeared to, and sooner or later, catch up. Then again if they went the wrong way, there might be a chance that they may never find Katara either. Aang could feel the vibrations of a large ship, just about an hour away from them, and was positive that she was on it. If the surfaced, and headed that way, they might put her and her rescuer into danger as well.

As he sat there thinking, it seemed that Zhao decided to force the boy into action. Waves of immense power began to foam far behind them, and it didn't take the boy too much time to realize what might be causing them. His eyes flashed open and he looked at Sokka, who chuckled nervously at him.

"You, uh, you've stopped meditating," the teenager said. A sliver of dread ran through his body, and as he watched, the air bubble was beginning to shrink and dissolve around them. "You've stopped using your air bending," he said with an equally nervous laugh. Aang reached for the reins and tightly bent them upward, calling out for the bison to head to the sky. "The air bubble is going to disappear before we reach the surface!" the teenager cried in alarm, holding his arms over his head. "Aang, what are you doing!"

"Trust me, it's not safe in the water any more," the boy growling, and began to hold his breath as the bubble disappeared to nothing. Sokka would have said something in protest, but as the bubble vanished, so was his resolve.

He turned away from what he thought was an approaching doom, only to see three larger, thinner, metallic dangers heading in their direction from the rear, and that's when he realized what the boy was doing. _Torpedoes! _

Appa emerged from the water like a massive white covered sea beast and yowled as he gasped for sweet, sweet air. As soon as Aang and Sokka had their short fill of the life sustaining element, the boy yanked the reins again, and called out to his partner to head for the sky. The air bison roared in acknowledgement, and pulled his weight out of the water, just in time for a large explosion to be felt from below, where they had been just a few minutes ago.

Getting out of the water had saved them from the torpedoes, but not from Zhao's frustration. Soon the sky was once again filled with flashing lights and sounds of thunder. Aang swerved and heaved at the reins, but the pains in his body, and the extension of the use of his powers were cutting thin on him. If they didn't do something now, they were either dead, or captured.

"Sokka, grab the reins," the boy ordered.

"What a minute a minute, what are you going to do?" the teenager asked, taking them from Aang.

"Probably something really stupid, but if I don't there's not going to be a tomorrow for us," the boy said. He ran to the edge of his bison's tail, and summoned what strength he could gather. He was going to need it for the double bender trick he was about to pull off. First he waved his arms around, like twin fans going in opposite directions, and then pulled them closer to him, sucking in on the energy he had gathered. Next he concentrated on the waves below him, and used his mind to begin swatting at them until they were worked up more than a nest of hornets. Finally as the waves grew to ten foot tall behemoths, he released the air within him, and turned the massive walls of water into temporary, miniature hurricanes, sending them back at the ships. Zhao was such an excellent sea man, he had no doubt that the majority of those ships would make it passed them, but it would take time, and Aang, Sokka, Appa, and Momo would be able to use that time to make a clean get away.

When he had finished with that, the boy avatar felt his legs buckle from beneath him, and he collapsed. He could hear his friend call out in alarm but he shook his head. "Head northeast, there's a collection of islands there. That's where we'll find Katara," the boy said drowsily. Sokka attempted to ask him how he knew that, but there was no answer, and when he turned to find out why, Aang was laying on his back, fully asleep.

"I think this is kind of a mistake," the teen said, "but I guess one plan is better than none at all." He clicked his tongue, "Appa, yip-yip." He could hear screams of anger and alarm below him, and he urged the bison to move faster. The further they were from Zhao, the better off they would be.

_**Okay, I know this is one page shorter than normal, but I did tell you the going would be slow for a while. Anyway, what did you all think? Review and let me know!**_

_**Now its time for my favorite part of the story, reader review answers! Ya all gave me your love, now it's my turn to do the same thing! And happily there are a lot of new faces here! **_

_**Ikenshinlover: Thank you so much! I hope that you enjoyed this one too! By the way, Kenshin is one of my favorite anime characters too. He reminds me of me, well except I'm not Japanese, don't have that much hair, have no scar on my face, and I do not carry a sword around, LOL. Plus I have glasses that make me look like a Nazi villain from one of the Indiana Jones movies. Other than that he and I could be twins, ;).**_

_**Zukoscute2: Thank you. I hope that his is soon enough for you.**_

_**SilverStorm106: Good, I'm happy you liked it. Actually I was going to be a little rougher on Katara, but I thought she had enough. Plus the thought of getting bit by her, kinda scared me, Lol.**_

_**crzysheelf: I love you for your love of my story! This was the soonest I could update, hope that's okay!**_

_**otakuintraining: Like you I'm also in training to be an otaku, I don't get very many channels that have good anime, besides Cartoon Network, and there are no conventions that close where I can travel too, so I have to settle for the net. Anyway, thanks for the praise, and here's the next update. Hope you liked it! **_

_**mimazz: Good to see you again (as well as all other previous reviews of the first chappie)! Thank you for your love! Iroh is such a delightful character, among many. I couldn't possibly take him out of character, and being the good man that he is, if a little mischievous, I kind of feel sorry for his position. There's a little bit of Iroh in myself too, Lol. **_

_**Arwey: Is there anyone who can say that they're not just a little slightly twisted in this world, LOL. No prob about the shout out, I figure if you all have taken the time to review, I should at least have the decency of answering you back, that's just manners if you ask me. Lol you're probably going to feel sorry for Iroh the most with these two young hot heads butting each other so much! Anyway thanks for the praise!**_

_**totallystellar: Thank you very much! I'm glad you like my story. Hopefully you will continue to enjoy it since I lost my outline. I remember a lot of what was going to happen, but some of it I'm going to have to recreate or add new things, which will take time. So this is going to be a very long story. Anyway thanks again, and hopefully this is soon enough for an update for you. **_

_**ML7: Lol, wow, a long review response, kool I thought I was the only one to do these! You're welcome for the compliments, and thanks for the encouragement about my age. One of my readers actually was shocked when they learned it! There is going to be a lot more action, and dozens of more characters to love, hate, and whatever you want to in the future, (both true characters, and originals) so keep reading!**_

_**Sakura: Thank you! I try to give the best fiction I can!**_

**_Monito: Lol, thank you, but I think that she'll be lucky if Zuko doesn't deck her first (that is if she doesn't put his lights out before he can do it to her, ), before romancing her. Thanks again for the review and the praise!_**

_**may: Thank you, I will do the best I possibly can!**_

**_AmayaWhiteWolf: You are one of the reviews I wanted to answer back as soon as I could! Thank you for the info (even if it happens that some people were mistaken). I had no idea Zuko had a sister, I never heard it mentioned in the series yet, but maybe one of the creators mentioned her in an interview shrugs Anyway I just felt she was too creepy to be left out of the story, whoever she is. So now she's been "divided" into the General, and the sister. Holy crap, I've let loose two female nut jobs into Aang's world, whatever is he going to do! Lol, hopefully not come and kick the crap out of me, Lol!_**

_**Spleef: I hope this was soon enough for you! And thanks for the love!**_

_**Cat-san: Well, duh, of course not! I didn't even make Katara and Zuko kiss, how can I end a romance story if they don't kiss? LOL, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**_

**_colorado-chick: Jumps in shock at the sound of her cry of "Gah". You nearly gave this thirty year old dude a heart attack! Lol, no anyway thanks for the love, and here's an update for you._**

**_Erena G.T. Rose: You're little old heart can't stand it! What about mine when it jumped to colorado-chick's cry of "gah"! Lol!_**

**_Anyway I thought you'd like like title . Lol, of course being in the pantheon of my number one fans, you have to answer once in a while to the number one fan of mine period, TheShoelessOne! But still, being a number one fan has its benefits. For example, you can look down at the lower beings who dare not review or diss this or any of my other stories you enjoy and strike them down with lightning or bring pestilence to their land. Whichever you want. Lol._**

_**uchika no kage: Wow! That's an interesting name, is it Japanese, or Oriental of any kind? Anyway thank you for your love of the story and of my work and I'll keep trying to please!**_

**_foreverasoul: Were you talking about Zuko using the mask to break Katara out of prison, or Aang's use of the air bubble underwater? I have a list of Avatar episodes and names from the site, _****_ but my computer erased the episode "The Blue Spirit" from its files. Anyway thanks for your praise. I know its hard when you have writers block, that's what pushed me from original fiction to fan fiction personally, and I'm glad it did. A bit of advice? Watch the shows, and then play the what if game. That's how I, Lol, and apparently a load of other people came up with the Zuko/Katara pairing. It's also how I came up with my other story, The Flames of Hatred. If that doesn't work, create your own character, and put them in the world, running into the characters. Of course I did this in The Fire Hunt, and so far it has no review. So I guess the only other option is to do your own thang. Take care, and I hope this chapter was just as good as the others! _**


	5. Chapter 5

**_Ziggy's Corner: Okay here's chapter five! Like Four its not going to be that long, I might be going on line sooner than I wanted too, so I wanted to give you all at least two chapters to read. It's not going to be a mini chappie, but it'll be around six maybe seven pages, instead of the eight I normally write. Then again kinds of crams pages together, so it might be shorter. sighs Okay even I'm boring myself with my rambling, so I'll just let you read my chapter! Lol, enjoy! Oh, and this chapter is just a few hours after the fourth one ends._**

The late morning sun shone down on Appa's back as he flew closer and closer to the islands that Aang had indicated to go. Sokka felt his muscles ache and he could hardly stifle a yawn himself as they flew. There had been no sign of Zhao for the last twenty minutes, ever since they had flew over the horizon, away from the villainous admiral and his ships, who were preoccupied with avoiding avatar created hurricanes. The teenage water warrior chuckled as he remembered the cries of shock and panic that filled those docks, and closed his eyes. True they were the enemy and had Zhao not been out for blood, and had Aang not created those temporary hurricanes, which probably disappeared a few minutes after he passed into unconsciousness, Sokka might have considered helping them out; might, being the operative word. He chuckled again as he envisioned fire benders being caught with their pants down, struggling to get control of their ships. This his chuckle began to grew stronger, into a massive wave of laughter as he envisioned the enemy not on board the decks of the ships, but sitting on dozens of crappers, trying to leave the john for the safety of peaceful waters.

He frowned for a moment, stopping his laughter and shook his head. Why was he laughing in the first place? He blinked and stared straight ahead, until the thoughts of toilets getting off the ground and doing little jigs, singing with flushing voices, to musicals he had heard when he was a small child. The teenager smiled, and started laughing again, before being brought out of it by Appa's agitated roar.

"It's okay, pookie," he said dopily, patting the animal on his head. "Daddy still loves you." He went on to announce his "engagement" to Appa to a flying sea gull, who squawked irritably as it passed him by. "Well then, no wedding cake for you, you punk," he roared at it. "Isn't that right, pookie?" Sokka attempted to hug the bison, but the animal shifted his weight, and nearly dropped the boy out of the sky.

The action had no affect on the daze teen, who continued to sing love ballads to the animal, until he found something that made him agitated. "And just who is that," he growled at the animal, jutting his finger out at a large puffy cloud. "What is this? Don't tell me you're leaving me for him!" Appa grunted and rolled his eyes, making Sokka even more edgy. "Oh, so that's the way its' going to be," he snapped. "I give you the best years of my life, and this is how you pay me back?" He turned to Aang, "And what about Jr.? How can you just leave him without his mommy?"

Appa looked at the boy and growled, knowing something was seriously wrong with him. At the sight of him trying to nurse Aang like a newborn child, the animal absolutely knew there was something wrong, and was pretty sure what it was. Without anyone at his reins, Appa jutted his head down, and began to dive as quickly as he could, without endangering the humans on his back. Sure Momo squeaked in protest, but the sight of Sokka's wackiness was enough to silence him.

The air bison plummeted toward the water, toward some islands that he was pretty sure that Aang had wanted to travel to anyway. And seeing Zuko's ship just sailing into a dock at one of them proved to him that it was indeed where the boy wanted to go. He couldn't speak their language, couldn't physically make them understand under constant bombardment, but the bison had smelled Zuko just a few minutes before they came close to that other island early today. He could smell Zuko, _and_ Katara.But he also knew the danger of being seen right now. Sokka was acting all mommyish, and Aang was still out of it. A bison and a lemur were no match for the Fire prince. He eyed a smaller island, one right next to the one that Zuko was, and lowered his body to hide in the cover of some low clouds. Pretty soon he could hear two very crazed and freaked out male voices.

"What on earth were you doing?" Sokka screeched, backing away from the boy and pulling his shirt back to his chest. "Aang, I knew you were out of it, but come on!"

"Me, what about you?" the boy roared. "You're the one pushing my face to your chest!" The avatar sputtered and spit at the thought of being so close to the other male. "What was wrong with you, and why aren't you flying Appa?"

"I am, I mean, I was, but then I woke up holding you." The thought of what had happened completely freaked him out. "I don't understand," he mumbled.

"I think I do," the boy said. "I've got a hunch you flew to high in the air. The lack of oxygen probably made you a little goofy."

"I didn't fly too high," he said, his voice breaking.

"Well, unless you actually wanted to be a mommy all this time, it's the only thing I can think of," Aang said with a chuckle. He put his hands over his head and began surveying their new environment. "I was woken up because my ears were popping," he said. "That's another thing that makes my argument strong, ears popping nearly happen to me when I'm in the air too high, and start going to drop to low."

"Okay, okay, whatever, I went to high." He was beginning to survey this new land, his hand over his eyes. "So where do you think Appa took us, anyway?"

"Looks like an island," Sokka said, leaping through the evergreen trees, to see the horizon. "It is an island. There are at least five, maybe six that I can see from here, but there may be more." He smiled and dropped to the ground. "I have a strong hunch this is where Katara is."

Sokka swirled on his feet and frowned. "Why do you think that?"

"Well, not on _this_ island, but probably on one of the ones near it," Aang said. "Appa probably brought us here so we could hide for some reason."

Sokka opened his mouth to speak, to question the bison's decision, and then stopped. _Why would he want us to hide? Unless whoever broke Katara out wanted to see us for some reason. _He began pacing back and forth. _They would probably be someone that Appa easily recognized, if he got freaked out enough to hide. But wouldn't that mean that whoever had Katara would either be a bounty hunter or something very close to it? _Then it hit him and he nearly pounced onto the Air bison's back. "I know who has Katara," he said in a high voice.

"I kinda think I do too," Aang said, in a deep worrisome voice. The boy was back in the trees and was looking at one of their islands larger neighbors. "I see a Fire Nation ship docked in that island over there."

"Zuko," Sokka growled. He was on Appa's back now, and screaming yip-yip, but the bison would not go anywhere. "What is wrong with you?" he snapped.

"Sokka, stop and think," Aang said, flipping down toward the saddle. "Appa loves Katara just as much as we do, but there must be a reason he won't fly right now."

"She's my sister!" he growled at Aang.

"And she's my friend, and my 'family'. Just like you are," the boy countered. "But after the fight two nights ago with Zuko, and being nearly bombed out of the sky, and shout out of the water just a little while ago, neither you nor I are a match for him right now."

Sokka looked at the boy and blinked, running his hands over the shaved sides of his head. Aang had a point, and the teenager remembered what energy he had used to save them both just a little over an hour ago. If he tried to fight now, Aang would end up killing himself. And it wouldn't be so easy for Sokka either.

"I won't let the Fire Nation take my sister, like they took my mother," Sokka said weakly, his knees shaking out of fatigue and sorrow.

"They won't," Aang said, putting a hand on his shoulder, his voice quiet. "I won't let them, I promise."

/ 

"I want to see the mayor of that town," Zuko snarled to a trembling man pointing to a small city off in the distance. "Now!"

"Of course, if he is really busy we will be happy to wait until he can see us," Iroh smiled brightly, humor in his voice. He looked over to his nephew and quickly shook his head, as if to warn him not to overdo it here. Besides Zuko, were two of his most talented crew members, and off to the side of all of them, stood Katara. Zuko did not trust his guards to watch her too well, and insisted that she be brought along. "Come Prince Zuko, we can at least give him that."

The small man in his thirties looked up at all of them and continued to shiver. Iroh seemed nice enough, but it was obvious who was in charge of these Fire bandits. Why they had a water bender with them, he couldn't tell, but he wasn't about to ask too many questions that might make this boy really lose his temper.

The villager wore long olive green robes, and a small straw hat, that covered his head from the sun, and the cold. He had dark brown skin, and a long, thin mustache that seemed almost like cat whiskers. "I doubt he'll even see me, to tell him you are here," the man said, his voice quivering. He looked down at the palm of his hand and blinked. There was a diamond shaped scar on his left palm, and while it caused him pain, physically, the sight of it also caused him pain mentally. "He doesn't talk much to my kind."

"What are you talking about?" the prince snarled. He considered taking the sword to this man, but Katara pushed aside and knelt next to him.

"Can't you see you're scaring him?" she growled.

"He should be scared of me," the prince snapped back. "And you should know your place; get back to where you were." He threw his arm in the direction the girl had been standing, expecting her to obey, but instead, she scowled at him.

"Making people afraid of you isn't going to get you the answers you want," she hissed. She turned to the man and smiled. "Hi, my name's Katara, what's yours?"

He looked at her with eyes wide with fright and he shook his head like it was a rag doll. "No, no you shouldn't have done that. I should never know anyone's name," he whimpered. He clutched his hands over his head and snapped his eyes shut tight. "Please leave me be," he whined.

"But … why?" she asked. Zuko's hard hand grasped her shoulder and he yanked her to her feet.

"He's clearly out of his mind, or dunk, or both," the prince said. "We're moving on."

"You're not the boss of me," she barked, pulling from his grasp. "And you're not the boss of this poor man."

Zuko turned and glared at her. "We've tried it my way, and we've tried it your way, and neither way works. Now if you want to waste time and let Admiral Zhao catch up to us, go ahead, but then you're on your own!"

She opened her mouth, and began to say a few more words, but Iroh pressed in between them. "You are both acting like children," he said. "Yes, I realize you are, but that's not the point." Iroh walked to the babbling man, and gently but sternly took his wrist and pulled it free from his head, revealing the mark on his hand. "Do either of you know what this symbol means?" The man yelped and pulled free, scrambling for the safety of the woods. The Fire soldiers went to pursue him, but the former general waved an arm away, holding them still. "Well?" The two shook their heads.

"That diamond in his hand was a symbol of great evil," he said, his voice lowering.

"Uncle we really don't have time for your fairy tales," Zuko began. "We need to move on."

"Then as we walk, I'll tell you the meaning of the evil; but if I see it on any of the buildings in the village, we're leaving this island," his uncle admonished. As they walked he started talking. "That man was probably born on the seventh minute, of the seventh hour, of the seventh day of the Winter Solstice," he said.

"Why is that a bad thing?" Katara asked, clearly the only one interested in the story.

"Because, people around these areas believe anyone born under such circumstances are doomed to roam the nights of the Solstice as Dazh Boh, undead creatures which would feast on the blood of the living." He was making the Fire Soldiers a little nervous, but not the teenagers.

"Like I said, fairy tales," the prince said with an agitated sigh.

"He sure didn't like undead to me," Katara said with a laugh.

"Whether you believe or don't believe, is up to you, but the real danger is in those who believe," Iroh went on. "They branded children born under those circumstances with that mark that you have seen, and on their seventh birthday sent them into the wilderness to live like animals. So afraid of the monster, that they believe anyone who's seen talking to one of these poor souls, are infected with the disease."

"So they try and brand us, and send us to the wilderness," Zuko interrupted. "But they've never dealt with the prince of the Fire Nation."

"We'd be lucky if that's all they did," his uncle warned. "People they believe to be infected and skinned alive, and cooked, and then later eaten."

"Cannibals?" Katara squeaked. The old man nodded.

"They themselves are the true monster, whether or not the Dazh Boh actually exists, which personally I believe they do. But as to your question of cannibalism, it's not the villagers themselves who eat you."

"But the outcasts who they through out of the village," Zuko shuddered, realizing what his uncle was getting at. The old man nodded at him. "To appease the beast so they won't be devoured." Another nod of his uncle's head. "And let me guess, it's believed that anyone who these Dazh Boh learn the names of, they're the ones who are considered infected." A third, more sullen nod, he almost turned to the girl and considered taunting her with that bit of information, when it dawned on him that his uncle had used his name in the presence of the wild man. _Oh Shit!_

"Now you understand why, if that symbol is on any of the building's walls, I said we were leaving. It could be that that poor soul was exiled from a village many miles away from here, but if not, we must leave as soon as we can."

They managed to find their way to the small town, and were very much relived not to see diamond one on any of the walls there. Zuko marched up to the nearest villager and demanded to speak to the mayor, who a few seconds later told him in no short change of words that, _she_ was the mayor. The prince explained the situation in as few words as he could manage, and the woman nodded her head.

"I can't speak for the other villages, and towns, but as long as you do not stay too long, we will be happy to keep you here," she said with a smile, "provided that you are willing to pay a small fee."

Zuko nearly exploded. "What!"

His uncle chuckled and nodded his head. "Of course, dear lady," he said. "We will be happy to pay whatever you ask."

Now Katara nearly exploded, "Are you out of your mind, she could be a swindler!" She stopped and blinked, _man I sound like my brother._

"This is her town, it would be rude not to pay them for their hospitality," Iroh explained with a wide grin.

"Normally we wouldn't ask for so much," the young woman said. "Except that with war breaking out between our town and the one over the hill, we need the funds." She explained that it had started just last year, and that the town over the hills had been the one where the Dazh Boh had come from.

"They sent those _things_, over here first, to devour our best warriors. As of late though, they've relied on a band of ruffians, lead by a very nasty booger who calls himself Jet."

Katara felt every muscle in her body tighten, and she could hardly breathe. She asked the woman to name the leader of the gang again and when asked by the mayor, as well as Zuko and his uncle if there was anything wrong, she denied it. But there _was_ something wrong, so far this last two-three days she had been kidnapped, "rescued", and now was a stone throw away from three arrogant and mentally disturbed men. True Zuko would have been her choice among them, but what in the hell had she done to deserve this?

**_Okay, I said it was shorter than the first three chapters, and I wasn't kidding! So what do you think of my adding yet another aspect of holiday lore in this chapter? Did you find it? If not go back and re-read and think "supernatural". Lol and if you think I made that up read Greek legends when it comes to the Christmas season. The only thing I changed was the name of the creature, which the Greeks called Callicantzaros. Lol, now you really put two and two together. Anyway I hope you all enjoyed this. I'll try to get chapter six and perhaps more to you between sometime in real late November, but more than likely sometime in December. If I update these before October 31, Happy Halloween! If not, the more than likely Happy Thanksgiving!_**

_**Post written review response: **_

**_Patience Halliwell: Congratulations, you are the thirty-third reviewer of my story! You win a big bag of cyber cookies, all the cyber dip you can use, a big bottle of cyber soda, and a cool new cyber mini-van! Thinks for a minute ah hell, I'll give a cyber-van to everyone because of Patience Halliwell! Lol, thanks for the compliments. I know, grammer isn't my best area (and here I am, in the profession of being a writer, but I try. And the second person to say that the woman is Princess Zula. Well I wish I knew where you all got that bit of info, but thanks. As to your torture reference, I wanted to make this as real as I could, and I couldn't see Zhao just slap someone of the wrist and have them walk away, any more than most Fire Nation soldiers, he's too sadistic. My Witch Hunter Robin and Sly Cooper stories have torture scenes in them too. Anyway, thanks for the love, and I hope you liked these chapters too! _**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Ziggy's Corner: Okay, 47 reviews, nearly fifty of them, AWESOME! The going is still slow, because of my loss of my notes, but I am not giving up on this story! This chapter takes place about twenty minutes after the last one ended. Enjoy!**_

Aang began to pace back and forth, ignoring his groaning muscles and bones as he walked. They had been on the island for a little more than twenty minutes now, and Sokka was driving him as mad as a hatter the way he simply hung onto that tree like it was his lover, and stared off at the larger island in the distance. Neither one was able to take on the Fire Prince for right now. Admiral Zhao had made sure of that, but it was frustrating not being able to save Katara from the Zuko's grip.

Zuko wasn't an evil being, though he came from an evil background. Aang knew that as sure as he knew he was a bald, one hundred and twelve year old air bending master. But that did not make the prince any the less dangerous. And with his temper, and her stubbornness, it was a very volatile situation.

"Okay the first thing we have to do is get a little rest, and then some training," Aang said.

"What we have to do is get Katara and head for the North Pole," the sixteen year old water warrior snapped.

"And we will, but we need to approach this logically," Aang said with a smile. "You know about logic, right? The great scientific mind that you possess."

Sokka glared at the air bender with his light blue eyes and turned away. "Aang, this is serious, don't tell jokes."

"I told you I have no intention of letting Katara die, and I mean it," Aang snapped. "But we have to do a little resting and toning before we take on Zuko, and whoever else we might run into." The older boy looked at him again, and sighed. "Look, we'll keep a close eye on his ship, if it leaves," he patted his white winged lemur and smiled, "Momo will tell us."

Sokka was still unsure, but he wasn't ready to risk his sister's life on his stubbornness. "All right, sure. But one way or the other we are going to go to the island before the end of the day."

Aang looked at his friend, blinked and then nodded his head. "Deal."

/ 

Admiral Zhao sat in his quarters, as his fleet of ships continued to push forward. He grit his teeth and sat in a soured disposition, furious that the avatar and his friend had gotten away, furious that he had lost the girl as well, just as he had lost her mother. He was determined not to let it stay that way.

If only he had his submersibles, if Lady Akikira had not taken them from him, the avatar would be in his grip. He would deal with her too, although, there were rumors that she was being protected by Princess Zula for some reason. Perhaps she was looking for a teacher to learn the ways of fire bending, but as to why, he had no idea. She showed no interest in the military, a path she could easily attend, only politics, and according to the laws of the Fire Nation, she could not practice that art the way she wanted too.

The admiral began to pace back and forth, considering the mysteries as they unfolded in his mind. It was not fair! Because of that blasted Blue Spirit, his one chance of glory, of forever riding himself of that nuisance Prince Zuko, of having the chance to gain the throne of the Fire Nation for himself was now in ruins. "Curse him, curse him to hell," he grumbled under his breathe.

His stomach rumbled, and the admiral looked down at his table, ringing a bell. A long line of men proceeded into the room, with dozens of plates of food. Zhao dropped to his knees and began ripping into flesh, tearing and biting at the meat before him, gulping the sweat liquid poured in his cups. In public, he was very much a gentleman as he ate. But in times of distress, when he was alone, the admiral let loose his wild side, the side he used in the lonely streets of the capital city of the Fire Nation. He was an orphan, cast aside like rubbish by everyone who was upper class. He acted very much like a wild animal just to survive. And it was that fire in his belly that served him to find a master, who taught him what he needed to gain power and revenge. Year by year, he climbed the ladder, attending the naval academy, and rising up the ranks so fast, it made everyone blink just to see what had happened.

He finished with his food, and went to the bridge, listening to reports of the damage of his fleet. The avatar had destroyed a large chunk of his ships, and the ones still floating were moving at a tempa snail's pace. Still he had a good idea where the Blue Spirit had gone off to, as well as the avatar and his friend. There were numerous islands that they could hide in, just a little ways from here. It would be a perfect place for them to hide. He was determined to find them, if he had to blast all of them from the end of the map and into oblivion, then he would do just that.

"Set sail for these islands," Zhao said, jamming his fingers into the map. "I want them searched as completely as possible."

"Yes sir," his general said, nodding at him.

Zhao returned to his quarters, to write a letter to his king, and beg for more resources, perhaps allowing his submersibles returned to him. His letter to that woman had been long sent, but that did not comfort him. He needed more materials, more men if he would complete his challenge.

"Whose there?" he snapped, stopping half way into the room. He looked around and took a second step inwards, bending his arms back and scowled. A pigeon squeaked, and dropped a message, stamped by the imperial insignia on it. The admiral rushed to it, and the bird flew off through his window.

Zhao picked the note up, and began reading it. The words grew heavy on his heart, and he bit his lips as he flipped through the pages. It wasn't fair, it was not Fair! The Fire Lord had instructed him to turn due east of his position, and pick up his daughter, and Lady Akikira and bring an end to an insurrection at some village. His eyes twitched, and he nearly tore the document in half, before he realized a very important fact. The insurrection was on one of the islands he was heading for, and with his submersibles back in his hand, it only meant an easier time hunting down his prey. True he would have to deal with the royal pain in the neck, and that witch of a woman, and he was sure that with his note sent to her, Akikira would not be in good spirits with him to give him his property back. But it was still an excuse he needed to show his hand, to show his might. Disobey an order from the Fire Lord now, and he was doomed to have a rope around his neck. Obey, and he would have power beyond power, reaching all the way to the throne.

Zhao rushed back to his bridge and gave his new commands. It would take a day out of his way, but he knew he could afford it. The avatar was weak, and his enemies in hiding. If fate as kind, he would have his prize before the solstice celebration was over, and that gave him nine days.

/ 

Katara was not sure what was worse, her being in Zuko's grasp, or that some kind of mystical monster was planning on making her into lunch, or that Jet was here. She began to pout as she sat, locked in her room. Zuko and his band were getting supplies, and trying to decide what next to do. The mayor and her band were planning for the next stage of their war. That gave the girl an idea. In this village, she wasn't being guarded, not like on the ship. And there was water in her room, which meant she could use it as weapon or at least an instrument as an escape.

She sat there, pondering what to do, and all of the sudden, she was very drowsy. It couldn't be helped; she had not slept in a very long time, for over two to possibly three days. But this kind of tiredness was a little too odd. It was as if she were being pulled into a different dimension. For a moment … just a moment, she could have sworn that she saw a smiling young woman, who was dressed as Suki had been. Then she vanished as the girl approached.

"Get up," Zuko snapped, opening her door, awaking her from sleep.

Katara shot from her bed and frowned. "What is going on?"

"We're going on a little expedition," the Fire Prince said. "The mayor has agreed to let us settle on this town if we help crush her enemies."

"So first you ask Aang to turn his back from those who need his help, so your empire can still enslave them, and then want me to help you kill innocent people so you can continue to use me as bait. Nice."

"Will you get off your high horse, and just think for a moment," Zuko growled, grabbing her wrist, "these 'innocent' people of yours are the monsters here, if you remember the mayor's story. They sent those lunatics to burn and devour the mayor's people."

"You are the most irritating, annoying, male chauvinist creep I've ever seen," she screamed.

"And you are the most loud mouthed, ignorant, little peasant I've had to deal with," Zuko growled. "Our very survival depends on helping the mayor. I've Zhao finds us, he'll kill us both."

"Me perhaps, but I doubt he'd turn his gun on you," she said, tugging at him grip.

"You don't know Zhao very well then," Zuko snapped. "He's ruthless."

"And you're not?"

"Fine, then, if you want me to leave you in this stink hole," he sighed, his eyes glowing with darkness. "I'm sure that you would rather be in Zhao's hands again, and there are easier ways for me to find the avatar."

"Prince Zuko," Iroh said, quickly approaching them. "Do not forget why we rescued the girl in the first place."

"As bait," Katara said.

"Young lady, please calm yourself," the retired general sighed. He turned to his nephew and turned his face to him. "Zuko, you know as well as I do that just leaving her for Zhao is wrong."

"Uncle," Zuko said his tone warning.

"No Zuko, you may be the prince of our land, but I'm still your teacher, and your guardian. I will not tolerate this path, it is too dangerous," he looked away, "too heart breaking."

Katara glared at the boy and snarled, "You're hurting my wrist."

"Just making sure you are safe from danger," Zuko growled, looking at her. He smirked and released her, his body heat rising as he stared at her, and feeling that, he turned from her before he could show it in his face.

"Please, Katara," Iroh said. "I know that technically we are enemies, but Zhao is an even worse threat, and if we are to get out of the mess we are in, then we must cooperate." He knew his nephew would not like what he was about to say, and truth he only half meant it, but if it would get her to work with them, then so be it. "If you do, and we get out of this, then we will release you at the next Earth Kingdom city."

Just as he expected his nephew tensed at his words and glowered at the old man. Iroh loved his nephew, and would give him the shirt off his back, but he would not allow him to be encased in the same hatred that his father and surrounded himself with; he would not allow him to be corrupted as his niece had been. That much had broken his heart completely, and Iroh knew that Ozai had purposely sent him with Zuko so he could continue to corrupt Zula. She had been engulfed in darkness all ready before they left; he had no idea what she was like now.

"As soon as we can, I want to leave this island, there is great evil here." Iroh looked off in the distance; he had thought he had known evil, seen suffering ordered by his brother, that he had carried out when he was younger, until he was older. But there were far things greater than mere human cruelty. And that frightened the old man to his bones.

Katara looked at the old man and back at the boy. She doubted seriously Iroh's words, but she had to maintain hope. "Fine, but I want my jar back."

Zuko turned his glower at the girl, and then nodded with a sigh at his uncle. "Just keep her close; I don't want her trying to pull anything." At his words, they had heard a girl cry, and when they turned to look, they saw a young woman run toward the mayor. Katara had heard that she was the town school teacher.

"They murdered all of them …," she cried, not able to breathe.

"Who?"

"Jet," she cried. "He had his men lock them in the school house, and bombed it.

Katara paled. She knew the young man had problems, and she knew he was ready to kill his own people to defeat the Fire Nation, but to slaughter innocent children! It couldn't be true. But as she looked off to the hills, she could see dark plumes of smoke rise into the sky. She set her jaw and lowered her eyes. Yes, she would join with Zuko for the time being, if only to put an end to the suffering that Jet had infested this island with, and to put an end to his suffering.

/ 

Jet watched the school house burn, turning deaf ears to the cries of the children who were being smoldered with smoke and flames. He did not smile nor did his regret what he had done. It was necessary. He had been paid with gold to lead this army against these people. And with that gold he could lead a bigger army to avenge his family and destroy the Fire Nation. He would slaughter a million villagers if it paid enough, and if it would successfully bring peace to his world.

"Jet, what have we done?" Pipsqueak asked. The large teen looked down at his leader, his eyes full of tears.

"We've done what we needed to do to survive," he said, dully. He put his piece of straw from his mouth and looked up at his old friend. "Don't forget what happened to our own village."

"But by doing this, aren't we just as bad as the Fire Nation?" the giant of a teen asked. He stroked his dark brown hair, and stroked his pudgy face.

"If you feel so badly about it, do something about it," Jet snapped. He stared at the other boy for a long time, until finally the massive boy rushed forward and headed for the school house. Jet never looked back, refusing to even look at the rest of his "freedom fighters". Behind them were a dozen or so cowering beings, their eyes of black staring up at their new master.

"Don't ask us to do this," one of them said. "We just wish to be left alone."

"Do what is in your nature to do," Jet said. "As night falls, go into the lower forest, and await that town's attack party. There you will feast well tonight." He could hear Pipsqueak break through the glass windows, and try to push himself in, to get to the children.

"What should we do about him?" the Duke asked, the tiny boy looking up at Jet.

The Earth Kingdom boy closed his eyes, his rugged oval face lined with the harness of life clenching. "If he survives, then so be it," he muttered. "But he is no longer one of us. Hopefully he has enough sense to leave this island, because I won't hesitate to kill him if we met as enemies on the battlefield."

There was a collective gasp. "Even after everything we've all been through?" one of them asked.

Jet turned on his feet and thrust his hooked blades across the other boy's chest, dropping him to the ground. "I will do what is necessary for vengeance and survival, nothing more." Jet pushed through his group of "friends" and walked through the hills, waiting for his employer's new set of orders.

**_Okay that was chapter six. I hope everything is still just as exciting as it was before! Be prepared for stronger romance to blossom in the next couple of chapters. And now to some reviews._**

_**Admiral07: Your wish is my command.**_

**_ML7: As you can see, they survived Zhao, but can they get enough rest and training that they can save their friend. As to your question, well in a sense I did make some of it up. Although many of the European cultures believed that if you were born around the Solstice or near Christmas, you were cursed. Other cultures would make those who they were born with any kind of curse and send them off in the proper age. The Greeks believed a certain goblin, or in some Greek cultures a vampire would come out and attack the innocent during the early Winter Solstice, near the twelve days of Christmas. In fact, the Twelve Days of Christmas was a strong time for ghosts and vampires, werewolves and such to roam to look for their victims, stronger even than during Samein, or as we know it Halloween. There is going to be another instance of this in my story, so I'll leave it there, but as to where I got my information, I went to the web site, _****_ a good place to find many things about the Solstice, and I also read the Book called The Encyclopedia of Christmas, written by Tanya Gulevich, by Omnigraphics press. You can find their books at _****_ I hope that helps . Thanks for the support and praise. It means a lot._**

_**Zutara4eva: As you can see, I did indeed update!**_

**_Lady Amaya: Thank you !_**

_**crzysheelf: Thank you, I intend on keeping up this work until it is over. I know how hard it is to update, when someone works on more than one story. Better to wait for two to three months for an update, then get one a week apart and it suck! And now that Jet is in the mix, and Zula and Lady Akikira too, it kind of looks likes its going to become a battle royale! Again, thanks for the kind words.**_

_**lensgirlfriend: And not just Jet, but a whole slew of characters! I had no idea Sokka had a Snoopy like dance.**_

_**Rioki Moondove: I owe you a debt of thanks. One for reviewing this story, two for your kind words and cyber cookie, and the third for giving me my first Fire Hunt review! Thanks again!**_

_**AngelofLight: LOL, I kinda understand how your nephew is about Sly Cooper, I'm kind of obsessed with him too. My niece (she's 14) is really devoted to that game series. Lol, you can snap your fingers all you want at me, but until I get direct access to the internet, don't hold your breathe on that, I'm limited to the schedule of my sister's house, as well as my own. Sorry. But thanks for the kind words.**_

_**Full-Frontal-Otaku: I don't know what she did, but she seems to have a black cloud around her, doesn't she? I'm glad I made you happy with my updates, and I hope I can do it again this time around. Thanks for the kind words. **_

_**C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only: I think Iroh is very intelligent. I think he just happens to be very set in his mischievous ways. The name of Sly Cooper Fic is called Everything's Relative.**_

_**Zukosocute2: Sorry for confusing you with the fancy words. Basically I've made Daz Boh werewolf like creatures. Actually the Dazh Boh was the name of the Ukrainian god of generosity, whose feast day was actually during the Winter Solstice. So in the island they are on, those born on the Solstice celebration were considered born with the werewolf's curse. Does this help? And as I told AngelofLight, my updating schedule is not my own, so sorry I can't do these weekly. Thanks for the love, and hopefully you enjoyed these too.**_

**_Patience Halliwell: You are so welcome for all the cyber stuff. In fact since you enjoyed it all so much have some more (gives a cyber house in Maui, a cyber butler, a cyber boyfriend, a cyber poochi, a cyber kittie, and a cyber million dollars!). I kinda don't like gore. But you do sometimes have to use some reality, and that means torture, I agree with you. Thanks for the love!_**

_**Okay, on to chapter seven! **_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Ziggy's Corner: Almost 50 reviews now! Sway Kool! It is still going quite slowly because of my loss of my outlines, but I am determined to push forward. I even intend to write new outlines to help me out. Anyway this chapter takes place just around the same time as the last one happened, so we are still basically on the same day, which is of course the 3rd day of the Solstice celebration, although the night is coming, so Sokka and Aang are ready for their plan to save Katara. Let's begin._**

Aang stretched and looked at the giant air bison, Appa as night slowly began to fall. "You ready boy?" he asked, petting the bison's long white fur. His mount and best friend opened his large mouth and roared an affirmative, and the avatar smiled. "Good to hear. Now all we need to do is find out where Sokka is, and we can get ready to save Katara."

At the sound of his name, the teenage water warrior rushed forward, hauling numerous figs and small winter berries in his hands and pockets. The twelve year old simple smiled and sighed at him, his friend was always hungry always looking for food, but he did have a good idea. They were going to need supplies on this journey. They knew that she was still just on the other island, but that did not mean that Zuko wouldn't chance his mind and abandon that island leave for another, and then another. And with Admiral Zhao certainly coming sooner or later, they would have to be quick.

"You ready?" Aang asked Sokka.

"You really have to ask me that question?" the older boy snapped. "Bring them on, no one is going to kidnap my little sister and get away with it."

"Appa, yip-yip," Aang said, gently tugging on the reins. His bison gave a yelp and rose into the air, faster and faster until they were far above the islands. The two boys could see almost every single island on the group, small ones, and large ones; islands that looked like they belonged to a forest and others that belonged to vast deserts. It was the oddest collection of islands that the boys had ever seen, and weirdest yet was that they seemed to form a large wreath in the pattern that they were in. But the boys knew which island was the most important, and they were determined that came hell or high water they were going to go in and save their friend.

The bison flew just over the island once, twice, three times, and then landed just a little west of the bay where Zuko's ship was. Once they were on land, it took them only fifteen minutes before they found a small village, with people with such warm dispositions that they seemed to come from the sun.

"My dear boys," said the Earth Kingdom mayor, "we saw those Fire Nation bandits and a young water tribe girl go up near the small town just about two or three hours walk from here, early this afternoon." He was a tall thin man, with a bright face and shining eyes. "But I would not recommend you go up there, especially not at night."

"Why is that?" Aang asked.

"Because of the Daz Boh," he replied. "They are cursed beings that transform into wolf like creatures during the night, and are especially fearsome during the Solstice nights."

"Werewolves," Sokka chuckled. "You are kidding, right?"

"I didn't say werewolves," the mayor corrected. "Werewolves are things of legend. If bitten by one, you become one. But all you need do to become one of the Daz Boh to become one is giving it your name, or are born during the Solstice. Only the strongest of people can overcome the curse. And even if they do, most people on this island shun you even so."

"I think we can take care of a little superstitious things like this Daz Boh," the water warrior smirked with his arms crossed.

"Even if you didn't care about them, there is the war brewing on the island," the mayor's aide sighed, sipping some grog. "Would you boys care for some? Best in the world, right here."

They shook their heads, and she sighed. "You mean the Fire Nation has some kind of military operation here?"

"Until the Fire Bandits arrived a few hours ago, there hasn't been a Fire Nation ship at our island for over twenty years," the mayor said. "But this island is divided, and so many cities and towns settle their differences with wars."

"But that's stupid," Aang protested. "The Fire Nation has made our world suffer enough without other people fighting amongst themselves."

"I truly agree with you, Master Avatar, but people aren't perfect." He sighed and looked at the two boys. "I'm afraid that you won't get anywhere near that city, especially with eastern city's new general, Jet out there too."

"Jet!" the boys asked. They knew all too well _that_ name.

"That settles things, we're going," Sokka snapped.

"Normally I'd try talking him out of this kind of mind frame, but Sokka's right. Jet is dangerous, and if he's on this island, then it can only be bad news."

"I hear that the western city made that Fire Bandit leader, the boy with the scar on his face, _their_ general against the east sir," the mayor's aide said.

"Zuko and Jet, meeting on the battlefield, if we're lucky they'll take each other out, and our problems will be over," Sokka joked.

"Right along with countless innocent lives, and Katara stuck in the middle," Aang snapped.

"Yes, that's right, the water bender girl was also made a captain, or commander or something in their army," the aide said cheerfully.

"What?" If Sokka hadn't been already standing, he would be now. "Aang, we've got to go. Now!"

"I agree," Aang said.

"I don't know about this," the mayor said.

"Well take Appa, we should get Katara long before any true fighting has begun," Aang said. Then a thought came to his mind. "But then all those people would suffer from the fighting between Zuko and Jet."

"That's not our problem," Sokka growled.

"But it is," Aang said. "If conflict between those two cities is allowed to grow, it could bounce from one island to the next, and then the next. Before long all the islands could become infected, and we'd have more than one war going on." He could see the growing dread in his friend's eyes. "I've beaten Zuko before, and I'll do it again. But we have to bring this war to an end before it gets out of hand."

"It's not our job," Sokka said.

"Not yours maybe, but it is mine," Aang said. "It goes with the territory of the title avatar."

Sokka sighed, and looked at his feet. "Fine, we'll do what we can, but we have to get Katara first."

"I agree," Aang said.

/ 

Katara gathered what children were in the town and hoarded them over into a large building, sternly warning them that none of them were to come out no matter what, and then went to her division.

She had long wanted to learn how to fight, to protect the ones she loved most, and to avenge her mother, she was still a novice a water bending, she knew that, but she did not care. Her blood boiled for the need for justice, the need to do something, even if it was fight a person she had hoped either would never be seen by her eyes ever again, or would have turned his life around. Now here she was, third in command of a medium sized army, second and third only to Zuko and his uncle. Wasn't that just a bite in the rear? But at least she knew she had the Fire Prince's goat by leading a small fraction of his sailors into battle. She giggled, her, a normal Water Tribe peasant girl, leading seasoned Fire Navy sailors into battle. How ironic and frustrating to the cause of the Fire Nation was that? True there were townspeople in her unit too, but the taste of darkly comedic incongruous situation wasn't there about them for her. If she lived past this battle, she would have to thank Iroh for giving her this chance. The only thing that she didn't enjoy was donning the Fire Nation armor, but if she went into battle with her Water Tribe clothes, she wouldn't have lasted very long.

"Don't screw this up, peasant," Zuko snapped, riding up next to her on his massive rhino, his eyes focusing intently on her. For a brief moment there seemed something within those glass windows into his soul that seemed to show a strong interest in her, in her sleek body, her hair, her face and her light blue eyes. But that look disappeared as quickly as it appeared, and his eyes became Draconian in their appearance as he looked at her, shadows creeping around the edges of his eyes. "I mean it."

"Yes master," she bowed with a mock tone in her voice, "I will not fail you. And shall I retrieve your pipe and rub your feet after the battle sire?"

Zuko felt his jaw drop and he blushed with rage as his men chuckled with the jest. "Listen to me, this is serious," he hissed. "This is serious; I need my men intact, if I am going to successfully catch the avatar. So do not go out there on the field, and play this like some water tribe game."

"I'm firmly aware of the seriousness of the situation, thank you," Katara growled. "I've seen just as much suffering and pain as you have in the battlefield."

"I really doubt that," the prince snapped.

"If you weren't so close minded, maybe you wouldn't," the girl growled harsher.

There was something about her; something strong and determined that pulled the prince closer to her than he wanted to be. He stared at Katara for a long time, feeling his heart beat faster than any time he had ever gotten near to catching her friend. And it confused him. He'd been on many dates with many Fire Nation noblewomen, but none of them had made him feel like this. _Snap out of it, you've a battle to win, and she's just an ordinary peasant, not worth your time in that field. _He shook his head, and glared at her. "Just see that you do not fail me," he said.

She watched him ride off, and shot him a look. "I won't. Fail Aang or Sokka, that is," she whispered under her breath.

The battle commenced just twenty minutes later. Many of the divisions roared in defiance against the large city, as its army marched down toward it. Katara had a hard time controlling her own men. Many of them wanted to charge right into hell's mouth, and she really could not blame them. But the order for her unit to advance had not yet been given, and even she knew that to disobey an order while on a battlefield was a fool's game; the chaos that could be caused could be catastrophic. So she held her unit in place, watching as the prince and his uncle units went first, then more seasoned units advanced, and others took their place as they fell.

It was during the waiting that Katara had realized what Zuko had done. Most of the people in her unit were not trained for war, not seasoned, including Zuko's men. Which meant he wanted her to defend the city from enemy attack, he wasn't sure if he could hold the enemy back. At first anger flushed through her body, but then it abated. Ever since she had first met him, she had seen him as this cold, calculating figure, ready to throw away the lives of his men to get the mends to his ends met, but that was not Zuko. By putting her in charge of the defense of the city, he was really letting her know that he felt that she was stronger than any of his commanders could have been. In a sense, he trusted her. Or his uncle trusted her, but none the less, she was trusted.

Pride swelled in her body for a few minutes, before a blood curdling howl sent ice through her veins. Her unit shifted their weight, and looked at her for reassurance. Katara blinked, and turned her head to watch dozens of dark, hairy bodies dash toward her position, and she had to swallow as glowing ember and jade eyes turned toward their new meals.

"Hold your positions," she barked.

"Against Dah Boz?" one of the townspeople cried. "We can't fight them!"

"If you value your families' safety, your homes, and your future, you will hold your positions and fight," she snapped.

"So you will threaten our lives, just to fight for your battle?" the man growled.

"This is your battle, your enemy," she sighed. "Maybe some of those things might have even been friends, or family members, do you really want them to suffer the way they are?"

"None of them are from this town," another man growled.

"It doesn't matter, you will hold your positions," she commanded. She turned to one of the Fire Navy men and jutted out a finger. "Except for you, I want you to find Prince Zuko and alert him to our situation."

"The prince doesn't want any of his men injured," he snarled. "Send one of the trash instead."

Katara stormed up to him, and held him by the collar. "Listen," she hissed. "Prince Zuko put me in charge of this unit, and that makes me your commander. I happen to believe all life is special, even if it is the life of a Fire Nation sailor. I wouldn't send you out there unprotected, I'll have you well armed, but we need to know if we can get any reinforcements to help us." She released the man and jutted her finger. "Until he say's otherwise, I'm unofficially a commanding Fire Nation officer. Now get going!"

It took him a long time to move, but he finally vanished within the forest surrounding the town, protected with stronger armaments, just as she had promised. Katara turned and looked at the rest of her force, "Prepare for defense!" she yelled over the dim of battle and the howls of the beasts. "You, make sure whatever kind of barrier or shield or deterrent whatsoever will work against those things is set up, now!" The Earth Kingdom man looked at her for a moment and then nodded.

She turned to the Fire Navy had barked out a wave of orders so fast it seemed only natural to her. It was as if she was meant to be in the military. When the last defense had been placed, they waited, and watched as the horde of wolf men stormed down toward the city, and at her order, the unit opened fire with everything that they had. Silver, golden, fire, stone, mortar, mystic spell sheets were sent flying in the direction of the monsters, who seemed to slow, but not stop their advance. Katara sighed and pulled a large dagger Iroh had given her from its sheathe. "Prepare for hand to hand combat," she said in a very low tone.

"This is insanity," one of the Earth Kingdom civilians cried, dropping his weapon. "We can't fight hand to hand with those beasts!"

Katara thought for a moment, narrowing her eyes, and then decided on a course of action. Turning to one for the Fire Navy men in her unit she placed a hand on her hip. "I have an idea, but to make it work, I'll need to leave my post. I leave you in charge; can you guarantee me that you will be fair in your orders?"

"Wait, you can't leave," he gasped. "You may be a commander on the field, but you are still a captive of his highness."

"These things hunt like dogs, like wolves. It makes since that they would prefer a wounded prey than fighting a dozen or so healthy ones," she looked at the monsters and back at the man. "I told one of those things my name, if I'm right, he'll go after me. And if they do hunt like wolves, it makes sense that his friends will also chase me, unless one or more of them have names of other people in this town."

"And if they do, then you'll have abandoned your post for no good reason, put yourself at risk, and I have to be the one to answer to the prince why you escaped," the man growled. "I think it's too risky."

"Then we'll just have to hack and slash them from entering the city," she said with mocked tiredness. "Chances are good we'll all be slaughtered, the city will fall, and if you are very unlucky you will survive to tell Zuko why you let all of us die."

The navy man thought of the consequences and shuddered. Either way he might have been damned to feel Prince Zuko's wrath. He swallowed hard and finally nodded. "All right, we'll give you cover from those things, but if they do take after you, there's not much we can do to protect you then."

"You just leave that to me," the girl said with a smile. She held the large knife in her hand so tightly it made her muscles scream and her arm grow numb. Her heart leapt to her throat, and she bent her knees, ready to make a dash for an open space. "You ready?"

"Good luck, 'commander'," the man said, the last word coming out snidely. He raised his hand, and slashed the air with it, and Katara took of like a bat out of hell. Trees and flames passed by her, the shouts of the wounded, horrified, dying and cursed all rang through her ears, but she kept running, feeling the force of the air press her forward, faster and faster, until everything was one brown splotch of a blur.

"I told you not to let me down," came a roar from behind her. She looked back in time to see Zuko racing up to her on his armored rhino. His eyes were dark and fierce, and the girl felt a pang of fear as she saw him come up, but she refused to let him see it. Then it flashed across her eyes and face, and she grew numb as the prince grabbed her arm and lifted her up. It didn't come from his presence, but from the monsters that were running them down. She had been right.

"I know you must be wondering what I was thinking," she started to say.

"Do not justify," he growled. "I figured you'd do this after the sergeant came to me and told me that you were in need of reinforcements." He looked behind her and groaned. "I figured you knew they were going to do this too. So now what? We can't keep running forever."

"Just lure them from the city, then we can think of something," she said.

"Take too long, we've got to make a move now!" he turned and unleashed his flames at the beasts. Again it slowed them down, but did very little else.

"We already tried that!" she screeched.

"Okay, so we try another route," Zuko said, a little shocked and dismayed. He looked over at a nearby cliff and smiled.

"You really are insane, aren't you?" she grumbled as she looked between those eyes and the cliff.

"War does crazy things to normal people," he chuckled. He flicked the reins and dashed the rhino toward ravine, screeching to a halt just as they reached the edge. Mentally he began a count down as the wolves raced towards them, their black fur flying in the wind, their vicious eyes glowing in the night.

"It could kill them," she cried, realizing what he planned.

"From what we know, death is the only antidote for them," he answered grimly. "Do you really want them to suffer?" She bit her lips and looked away. "I sincerely doubt a fall from this height would kill something like that anyway." He finished counting down, and then shot a flame that landed behind the man wolves. It exploded into a few hundred fiery arches and aimed at them, spreading panic in their ranks. Some fled for the cliff, and leapt off, missing Zuko and Katara just by inches as he moved the rhino out of the way. Others fled for the city, the majority fled for the safety of the woods.

"I suppose that works, but what of those who headed back to the city?" Katara asked.

Zuko looked at her, and tossed another flaming ball ahead of them. Those wolves freaked and headed for the southern woods, howling with hunger, rage, and fear. "So does that settle any problems you've had?" Katara sighed and nodded. "Then let's get back." ****

/ 

Jet watches as his force was decimated after the Dah Boz fled or disappeared off the map. His eyes narrowed. His clients would not be very happy with this incident. Pipsqueak had managed to pull a few of the children from the burning school house, had led a battalion to defeat a small fraction of his force, then Katara of all people lead Fire Navy men in defense of the city, and her and Zuko's actions proved that the werewolves were not as useful as their city clamed they were. Not many pay cheeks going to be given out tonight. But he wasn't interested in that.

_Why is she fighting for them? And where are Aang and her brother? Did they die, did she betray them?_ He smirked and stroked his chin. These were mysteries he wanted to further contemplate, but he knew there were reports due to be given.

"Major," he yelled. A short elderly man walked up to him and hunched over in a bow.

"Yes sir?"

"Alert the city to the developments that have transpired here tonight. Then tell the council I will personally arrive and make the appropriate apologies to them for this defeat."

"Very good sir," the major answered.

"Oh, one more thing," the Earth Kingdom rebel groaned. "Tell Avatar Edwin that a pretender may have landed on his land. He may be interested in that bit of information. I'll find out what I can, and then give him the information as soon as possible."

"Yes my lord," the major said; his skin paling. He turned and left.

_Aang may be very well dead, but if he's not, and she's here, then there is a very good chance that the pretender is here too. And if he was, he was going to have to deal with the true avatar. As would the Fire Nation would, and as for Katara? Well, she'll learn that her place is with me._

**_Another Avatar! What the heck? And what's going on with Katara's vision in the last chapter! LOL, well okay I know the answer to these questions, since I'm the author, but I thought it was a little more dramatic to do them sorry. I also have good news, I rewrote my outlines at last, so the going should not be very slow! And I'm taking the ultimate story line in a new direction than the one I thought it would go. Yes, yes, do not worry, it is still a romance between Katara and Zuko, you're starting to see the making of that in this chapter, but you aren't going to believe what is in store in the next couple of chapters. I will try very hard to update in January, but if not, look for the next two chapters in February, and then some extra chapters (meaning more than two, could be eight even, who knows?) in March as the 7th of that month is my birthday. Okay see you all later._**

_**ML7: Thanks for the kind words. I will do my best not to let you down, but you have to be patient, patience is a holy virtue. If I were to speed up my writing, the story would lose some of its edge. **_

_**mtm123: I hope to update on the weekend before Christmas. Sorry about Jet, but he makes a good villain and he's only going to be more villainous in the coming chapters. **_

**_These chapters will probably be submitted a little after Christmas Day (Sorry about the delay ML7 and mtm123 couldn't be helped), but I hope to have it in before the 6th of January, as that is one day after the Christmas season actually ends. December 25-January 5, the twelve days of Christmas, it was actually celebrated like that in medieval times, a tasty tidbit for you trivia fans. _**


	8. Chapter 8

_**Ziggy's Corner: Okay I know that this is a third chapter this submission time, where as I normally only have done two, but with the long delay I've forced you all to submit too, I thought it was only fair to give you an extra chapter, or two, or three. I know that ML7 will be happy. He or she is practically leaping up and down in the air, screaming at the top of his or her lungs! LOL. Okay on with the story. This chapter takes place just three hours after the end of the last.**_

Katara slumped against the back of the wagon, her wrists tied together; her brown eyes dimming as the wheels of the wagon struck rock after rock. "So I helped lead your forces in the great big battle, and this is the thanks I get," she said, drolly.

"For once, couldn't you just shut your mouth?" Zuko grumbled, hunching over the reins of the wagon, a little tired, and a bit pissed that he was staring at the asses of his mounts for so long. Iroh put his hand on the boy's shoulder, but it wasn't comforting this time.

After the battle was over, the town had asked politely that Zuko and his men leave, for fear of retributions from the "avatar" in the opposition city, when it was discovered Zuko's real intensions. He had attempted to tell them that it was Aang who was his real target, but the people refused to listen. The avatar, he was told, was an Earth bender who had lived on the island for the last thirty years.

_Two avatars? That makes no sense. Even if Aang weren't the avatar, and I know he is, the next stage in the avatar cycle would have been a water bender, not an earth bender. _So what could they have been talking about?

"The next town should be just through this forest," Iroh said, his eyes carefully shifting through the landscape. It was still dark, and the Dah Boz still knew his nephew and the girl's names. They had been scared off during the battle, but he knew that they were still hungry, ready for flesh and the trees which made for perfect ambush in the daytime, only increased the threat at night. "I've had the men double their march, if we're lucky we should reach the town without any incident."

Zuko opened his mouth but shut it. He was too tired to make any smart ass comments right now. He flicked the reins, letting the light from the full moon stroke his balding head, trying desperately trying to hold his eyes open. Up ahead of the wagon was the light of the men's torches. The town's people weren't the only reason he fled. In the air he had seen Aang and Sokka on their big white bison. He had wanted to get into a confrontation then, but his muscles were tired, and none of him men up to a long fight. The boy avatar and his friend had had their rest, the Fire Nation were the tired ones now. A fight with the avatar at this state would have resulted in defeat, and the loss of the girl who was slowly falling asleep in the back, despite her attempts to fight fatigue.

Zuko turned his head and let his eyes dance up and down her slender body, stripped of the armor, so the weight wouldn't be too bad for the mounts pulling the wagon. She was laying her head on the edge of the wagon, her soft brown hair glowing like an angel's heavenly light. Her brown skin shimmering with ethereal beauty, her lashes long and curled. She was wearing a light blue evening gown that seemed meant for her, clinging to her soft skin. To ignore it as he might, his eyes caught sight of areas of the gown where the moon's light illuminated through the fabric and exposed her soft skin. For a moment he considered reaching over and pulling the gown so that she was more appropriately dressed, but as it entered his mind, his face flushed.

Zuko turned his head back to the road, his chest growing tight. What was it about this girl? He heard a light thump, and turned back to her, seeing that she had fallen completely asleep, her skin clinging to the gown as she began to lightly snore. His eyes grew wide and he turned forward so quickly he nearly startled both his uncle and the twin mounts.

"Enjoying the scenery?" his uncle teased without looking at him.

Zuko glared at him for a moment, and forced himself to look forward, despite his instincts to look back. She had stopped snoring, but was muttering to herself, and snuggling closer to the driver's chair of the wagon. It was to look for heat, but all it did was make the prince even warmer.

"You could always let me take the reins if you wanted to go back there and sleep," Iroh said. He saw his nephew eyeball him, totally aghast. "I didn't mean that, and you know it," the old man playfully growled.

"I'm fine," the boy said looking at him.

"You are not fine Zuko," Iroh said. "You haven't been for five days! Please, rest, relax. You're men will begin to question the wisdom of their leader if you keep acting reckless."

All fatigue in his eyes was gone now. "Reckless?" he snapped. "Reckless! Zhao is reckless, these fanatics are reckless, you on times have been reckless, but not me." Every word that he spoke grew louder and more hostile. "If you don't like the way I lead then maybe you'd like to take command."

"Take it easy," Iroh growled. "This is just what I mean. You are tired, agitated, frustrated …,"

"And wouldn't you be in my circumstances?" Zuko hissed.

"I understand how you feel Zuko," Iroh said, his own tone growing softer, "but you really have to slow down. If you keep this up, you will burn out before you ever capture the avatar at this rate."

"That's another thing," the boy prince growled, whipping the reins so hard that it stung the mounts.

"No more, Zuko," Iroh said, looking distracted.

"What?" the boy snapped.

"Keep your voice down," the old man said in a hushed tone. Iroh cupped his hands together and placed them by his mouth, imitating a bird call. A few seconds later a fainter call was heard in the not so far distance. Iroh cooed a few more bird notes, and watched as the torches stopped moving as fast as they had been.

"What's going on?" Zuko asked, his senses tingling. He looked around, but could see nothing, and told his uncle so.

"It's not what I see that's bothering me," Iroh said. "It's what I don't hear, that I don't like."

"But I don't …," Zuko stopped sort, his eyes widening as he understood. "Have the men form a half circle to protect the wagon."

"I already did," Iroh said, pulling a sword from somewhere.

They sat there for nearly ten minutes, clouds brushing over the moon as they waited. Then an awful silence fell upon them, one that was worst than the last, and which woke up the sleeping beauty in the back of the wagon.

"What's going on?" she asked groggily.

"Quiet," Zuko snapped softly.

"Don't you tell me quiet," she snapped, her voice rising.

"Katara, quiet," he repeated, stunned that he had used her name. Apparently she was just as shocked, because she inched back and blinked, her skin crawling.

Now there was absolutely no moonlight, nor light by star in the sky to guide them, and the men's complexions had grown whiter than paper.

"This is no ordinary darkness," one of them whispered.

"It's winter, with no light but our torches, but I don't feel the slightest breeze," another said.

"Is it growing warmer?" a third asked.

"They're right," Iroh said, his voice quivering.

"Could it be the Dah Boz?" Katara whimpered.

"We faced them in battle, there was nothing like this," the prince said.

Iroh shook his head. "No, this is different; I have a feeling any blood thirty, flesh starved Dah Boz within its right mind would be fleeing this atmosphere. I doubt that they would even enter it." Iroh had a strong healthy fear and respect for all things supernatural. He knew better than to tick of the spirits, to challenge them or to have anything to do with anything paranormal but it seemed like now that they were on this island, they had no choice but to confront it on every level. He wasn't surprised. Both the Solstices and the Equinoxes were strong times for spirit activity, but he knew that this time, during the Winter Solstice was strongest for them.

"You … you are not members of the _Gandreid_," a frightened, unfamiliar voice said. "Who are you?"

Zuko looked down at a small woman clutching her children for dear life. They must have snuck through the forests toward the wagon and company during the darkness. The woman's face was etched with age lines and worry, though her hair was blacker than the darkness around them. She wore ragged brown clothes, as did her children.

"We're with the Fire Nation," Zuko said. "Who are the _Gandreid_?"

"The Wild Hunt?" Katara asked, her eyes carefully studying the woman's face. "Spirits of ancient warriors and of nature who ride during the night looking for souls to steal?"

"You would be lucky if it was all that those monsterous beings stole from you, but yes," the woman said with a quick nod. "Please, could you give me and my children ride to our town, it's just beyond this clearing."

"I was told that the nearest town was at least another twenty miles from here," Iroh said. Judging from the fear from her eyes, he sighed and nodded, refused to be rebuffed by his nephew.

"Have the men triple their march to keep up with us," Iroh instructed a commander.

"Please, we must move off of this path at once," the woman shrieked as the wind began to pick up, pushing the clouds from a few stars in the sky.

"Why the rush?" Zuko demanded.

"Just do what she says," Katara snapped, her pulse racing as she stared into the sky, memories of Gran-Gran's stories burning in her mind. "Zuko, move! All of you, get off the path now!" The girl whipped herself forward, gritting her teeth as her ankles groaned from the weight and speed she was racing, still not ready to let her forget about the torture Zhao had put her through. _Luckily the ankles are just sprained and not broken. _She grabbed the reins and whipped hard, turning the steeds off toward the direction that the woman had pointed.

"What is going on?" Zuko demanded, trying to win back the reins.

"Zuko, look!" Iroh roared as their men fled into the area after them. Those that stayed in the path gazed up with large eyes and whiting hair as the stars swooped down on them, the wind becoming the mournful voices of spirits dressed in armor, riding mounts made up of nothing but bones and rotting meat. A few more of the soldiers on the path managed to leap into the safety of the western forest, but a small handful were not as lucky, and jerked as icy cold hands clamped into their bodies, and tore their spirits from them, riding further down the lane. The soulless bodies fell to the ground in a clump, and were quickly torn to pieces by fiery hell hounds, much worse in fear invoking and power than the werewolf like Dah Boz, before the beasts followed their masters for more victims.

After it was over no one could say a word. "In all my life," Iroh said, holding his hand over his heart. "I have never seen anything so dreadful."

"The people on the island who live in the area see it every year," the woman said sorrowfully.

All Katara could do was say a silent prayer of thanks that they did not react as the Wild Hunt in Gran-Gran's stories would do. For if it had been _those_ specters who were here, simply going off the straight path would not have protected her or any of the rest of the survivors. Of course these _Gandreid_ seemed very much the more hostile of the two groups of spirits.

"At any rate, they are gone now," the woman said, calming a bit. "And they have chosen a path that will not take them near my town."

"Should we try and go after them Prince Zuko?" a commander offered. "Try and stop them?"

"You'd do it with your own life lost," Katara said. "No force on this planet, not even the avatar could stop them." She looked at the men, "And any of you who even think of trying to recruit them into your ranks would find the opposite would occur."

"How do you know so much about them?" Zuko snapped.

"My Gran-Gran told me stories of spirits just like them," she snarled back.

"The Wild Hunt," the other woman said, "I imagine that most places in this world have spirits who ac like them one way or the other."

"Not in the Fire Nation there's not," one of the soldiers snapped.

"Well, in that," the woman hissed, "I must say that I am very envious of your country."

"At any rate we are wasting time," Iroh said. "The _Gandreid_ may be gone, but there are other things out here that may not wait for us to make a move." He deliberately did not mention the Dah Boz, for fear that the woman would not take them to her town. But the prince, the girl, and the men knew exactly what he meant, and with in a couple of minute there after made ready to travel to the woman's town for rest and regrouping.

_**Okay, a completely Zuko/Katara chapter! Aang and Sokka were going to make an entrance here too, to confront the other avatar, but I really wanted to play that out. So, are the Wild Hunt part of the Solstice and Christmas time? The answer is YES. Most Northern European people have stories about them, some just as grizzly as what I wrote, some a little tamer. The name Gandreid is just one of the names of these spirits, coming from Norway. These spirits were said to charge across the night sky increasing the fertility of the fields that they passed, and were most active during the Epiphany, or Twelfth Day of Christmas, which is January 12, for those Celebrating on the Gregorian calendar.**_

**_So how do you like the tension between Zuko and Katara? Slowly his interest in her his growing, and I had fun writing this chapter, where he wants to kind of peak at her while sleeping, but is embarrassed about it, and in truth is too much a gentleman to take advantage of her like that. She's slowly growing attached to him too, as you will see in the next chapter. Okay so until then, take care! _**


	9. Chapter 9

_**Ziggy's Corner: And here is chapter 9! There is a brief scene were Katara unintentionally, at first anyway, flirts with Zuko, just as I promised last chapter, and then one of the more fun mini-subplot thingies I've done, but we're going to let that be a secret until we get to it. Okay, I hope you have fun, and enjoy! This takes place two hours after the last chapter.**_

She was ushered into the two room apartment, her blue eyes glowing with bitterness. Katara felt the soldiers hands press down on her shoulders as they moved her to a chair, to wait for the prince.

Zuko finally immerged from the privy a few minutes later and looked at the girl. "I've had some of my men sent warrants telling the avatar where to find me, if he has the guts to do so."

"So, this is truly the thanks I get for helping that town," she said softly. "And for instructing us off the path before the spirits got most of your men."

"Make no mistake," he said, grunting in pain as he stood. He thought for a moment, but the pain was too great and he slipped out of everything but his soft undershirt and shorts.

"What are you doing?" she squeaked.

"I've been wearing this armor for most of five days now, without a bath. My shoulders are sore, and I need a bath."

"Do you expect me to be your chamber maid then?" she snapped.

"You interrupted me before I could finish earlier," he said. "I am thankful for what little you've done for us, but now that we've found some decent safety from Zhao, we've got to go back to our old roles."

"I see." She looked at him for a long time, she blinked and felt her body flush with heat as she watched his muscles flex and relax under that shirt and those shorts. She found a hard time swallowing too, and licked her lips as she watched him stretch. "So, what will happen to me?" she asked, trying to add some bitterness in her tone as her heart thumped against her chest.

He opened his mouth to speak, but when he saw her reaction to his body, blushed and slipped between the door of the privy and the bedroom. "For now you are going to have to stay in the next room," a pale, strong arm jutted out and pointed toward a door. "After I capture the avatar, I don't know what will become of you or your brother."

"Be made slaves of, I suppose," she growled, the shadow of Zuko leaving the room, building her courage back.

"Let's not start that again," he growled. "If you're smart, you'll just head back to your little village and forget this whole thing."

She wasn't sure if it was the anger of the moment, or the vision of his body that was making her body hot, tight and sweaty, but she wasn't sure she wanted to find out. "So am I being dismissed now, _master_?"

"Why are you so stubborn?" he roared, barreling out of the privy, forgetting he had removed his shirt.

"Why are you so pigheaded?" she snarled back, inching closer, drawn to him like a moth to the flame.

"You really should know your place, _girl_. No female in my nation in your status would dare act the way you do." He too was inching closer to her, unaware of it.

"Well maybe that's the problem," she snarled, now so close to his chest that she could feel the heat of his rage and confusion warm her own body. "If more women thought as I do in your country, you might see some change."

"Tell that to my sister, and a few female warriors on my land, they're more fanatical and sadistic then the men are," he said. Neither seemed to understand that they were now standing chest to chest, their breathe flowing from the one's lips, to the other's and back again.

"But only the noble women are free to say what they think, not the peasants," she howled.

"First my nation is a monarchy, not a republic," Zuko said. "And it's a good thing too; the Fire Nation peasant women are even more sadistic than our noble women. It would be rule of the mob, and everyone's heads flying everywhere if we let people like you have your say!"

Before another word could be spoken Iroh stepped in and stopped short in his track. "Er, what is going on here?"

The two hot heads seemed to realize that they were all but hugging one another, and as quickly as ice and heat repelled one another, they slipped away. "My decision is final," Zuko said. "If you and your brother try to stop me, I'll … have no choice but to kill you." His heat slowly abated for reasons he did now quite understand and he looked away. "Please don't put me in that situation." He looked at his uncle and nodded.

"Please take Katara back to her room, and see she's taken care of for." He turned and walked into the privy.

"I'm kind of glad that he asked me to see that you were taken care for," the old man said with a huge grin.

"Why?" she asked, as they walked into the room that was to be for her, it was larger than the Fire Prince's quarters, something that completely shocked her and made her wonder if he knew that too.

"As I toured the town I've come across a situation that needs taking care off." He smirked playfully and nodded to a large sack in the corner of the room. "An hour after coming here, I ran into the problem."

"Dirty laundry?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Most of the people in this town are poor, poorer than I've ever seen anywhere. Most of the children couldn't afford a single doll, or stuffed bear." He smiled as he walked to the sack, and opened it up, revealing that it had been stuffed with toys as far as the eye could see. "Luckily I was able to do all the purchasing before the store closed, and was able to by the toy shop's silence too."

"So what do you want me to do?" she asked, her mind dazzled and confused.

"There is a legend, according to the woman we picked up of a kindly ancient spirit of winter who looks an awful like me, and his granddaughter, who …,"

She got it now. "Looks pretty much like me," she said, pointing at her chest. He smiled and nodded.

"For some reason this spirit, Grandfather Winter, they call him, never seems to enter this town, more than likely because of the spirits of the _Gandreid_. But I figure that these children deserve a good Winter Solstice."

"Aren't the people going to get suspicious when they go to the toy store and see it out of toys?" _What kind of oddball opens a toy store in a town that can't afford to buy his goods?_

"I kind of had a small portion of the men help the owner paint and build new toys that he can place in the store windows the next day. You'd be surprised how well many of them can carve and sew!"

"And how are we going to go out in the town with people seeing us, and not knowing who we are?"

Iroh smiled a third time and lifted two wooly cloaks, one as red as fire, the other as blue as ice. Katara couldn't help but smile herself, there was something decent about Iroh.

"So you're in then? You'd be helping a lot of children happy."

"How do you know I won't take advantage to try and escape?" she asked, crossing her arms.

"If you tried, I'd have to sound the alarm, waking up the children, with no presents whatsoever, and more than likely making this town a battlefield. I really don't think you're that kind of girl."

He had her beat, and he knew it. She smiled and pulled the thick warm robe over her body. "I don't have to carry any of the bags?" she asked, as the general repacked the toys and lifted them over his shoulder.

"All you have to do is make sure that the children stay asleep, and help me unload them," he said. "I wouldn't want your ankle to be too hurt."

/ 

She had no idea that they were going to work in the middle of the night. It was almost midnight now, and true the full moon was large and bright overhead, giving enough light to see, but slinking in and out of the houses didn't feel right to her, even if they were doing a good deed.

Once or twice someone in the house stirred, and Iroh did his best to act al spirit like to convince them that it was Grandfather Winter visiting them, but for a townsperson who time and time again had been left aside by the spirit, to finally believe here he was, it was almost inconceivable. Iroh once had to pay the mother or father off to allow them to bring the children the toys.

As they approached the final house, Katara could feel the weight of lack of sleep inch toward her. How happy she was that they were indeed finally done, though her original feelings of feeling of being a criminal were waning. She waited for Iroh to slowly slip the window open, and then urged her inside.

And once inside the building they discovered not one but ten children, who for some reason were all wide awake and big eyed as the spirits entered the house, all staring at Katara and Iroh with baited breathe. "Um, hi," the teenager said, the color in her skin draining. She looked at Iroh, who was just as shocked as she was.

"Shouldn't you children be asleep in bed?" Iroh asked, in a deep, spirit like voice, trying to make himself as grandfatherly as he possibly could. He was rewarded with ten smiling faces, eyes eager to see if it was indeed the fabled two spirits of winter that was now in their house.

For a long time the twelve individuals stared at each other, not knowing what to do, when a few of the younger ones summoned enough courage to walk up to Katara and feel her light blue robes, their bodies shivering at the thought that she could indeed by the Snow Maiden.

"We heard that you might come tonight, but we really didn't believe," a ten year old said, looking at Iroh. "Some of our friends said they saw you and rushed over to tell us."

Iroh began to blush, and bit his lips, trying to think what to say. "Well we weren't about to let some mean spirits keep us away could we?" he asked, turning to his "granddaughter" only to see her on her knees giggling as the youngest three of the children poked and prodded her to see if she were spirit and flesh and blood.

"If you're a spirit, how come you're ticklish?" a four year old girl asked, as two of her fingers wiggled near Katara's underarm.

Her urge to bite was strong, and she remembered slightly the torture of being put underwater and tickled to make her laugh, to make her gag on the water by Zhao's cruel men. But she knew these children meant no real harm, instead of taking sadistic glee, were just playing and happy that perhaps the Snow Maiden was just like them and would play with them. With that thought the young, teenage water peasant gently flipped the four year old with light golden curls onto her lap and lightly wiggled her own fingers, causing her to squeal and wiggle around. "Well, tell me, why are you ticklish?" Katara giggled as she tickled the girl a few seconds more, and then latched on to a six year old boy, her eyes gleaming, "Or how about you?" she said with a grin.

He squeaked and inched away from her, with a smile. "You really are the Snow Maiden?" he asked.

"That's right," Katara said. "And you children should be in bed right now, don't you think?"

"Can't we stay up and get our presents now?" the little girl asked, her lower lip jutting out.

Iroh chuckled and knelt down, "Well that's not normally how we do things, but I suppose we could make an exception this one time." One by one the ten children inched near the old man, smiles wide and warm. The old man smiled widely, his heart warmer and happy than it had been for a long time. "So who's first?"

"Um don't you know our names?" the oldest boy asked, nine years old, scooting back and forth. "We've said many prayers to you before; we kind of hoped you'd know us."

Again Iroh grow pale and looked to Katara, who bit her lips and shrugged. The Fire General turned to the boy and opened his mouth, when a light wrap caught his attention and he looked to the children's parents, hiding in the darkness of their room. It was obvious that the grownups had rationalized that these two really were not spirits, but the happiness on their children's faces, joy they had not seen for many winters caused them to throw out any thought that these strangers were dangerous.

Hugging the door jam of his room, just so close that Iroh would see his mouth, but not so close that his children would notice him, the father mouthed a name. Iroh smiled, trying not to draw attention to their parent's room and looked at the boy. "I'm sorry, Lal, it's been a long night for my granddaughter and I." He smiled again, "I don't suppose you would be interested in this bag of marbles, would you?"

Indescribable joy flushed over Lal's face as the boy took the bag of marbles and studied them for a long time, before hugging Grandfather Winter's neck, and making room for the next child. One by one, they each received their presents from Iroh as he spoke their name, and one by one they inched back into the room, holding their little treasure with such rapture and glee; that the room seemed to glow with light. The last one to receive a toy was the four year old girl with the curls that matched the sun's light, Aruna. The girl squealed with glee as she hugged her doll, and rushed over to Katara, after she finished hugging Iroh, and squeezed the girl's leg too.

The children seemed disappointed when the two of them made their move to leave, but they seemed to understand. There were other children to visit before the sun appeared. Iroh and Katara saw the children to bed tucked with their new treasures, Katara gave in to Aruna's pleas for a few more seconds of tickling (she was just way too cute to say no to) and turned to leave.

As they left the house, they ran straight into the children's father. "Not that I'm complaining, but why did you do that?" he asked.

"Because it was the right thing to do," Iroh said with a bright smile.

"Thank you with the deepest sincerity of my heart," the father said but then he shook his head. "I just hope they don't get used to Grandfather Winter and the Snow Maiden coming to their house."

Iroh blinked and sighed. "Well if you're careful, who knows, next year you may not wake up the kids as you give them their gifts. And maybe the actual spirits will appear."

"That may be the only way they get anything else," their father sighed. "No one can afford any toys during these years."

The old man chuckled mischievously. "That will never be a problem again, I assure you." He would not elaborate, but it seemed as if the father half hearted accepted the words, his eyes starting to fill with hope.

"How do you know the toy maker won't just leave, or up the prices of his toys again when we're gone?" Katara asked, as they quickly made their way to the apartment.

"Because," Iroh said with bright eyes, "my men aren't just helping him make more toys. They're instructing him that if he ever hikes his prices again, and we get wind of it – which we will – he'll regret it."

"And if the Fire Nation loses the war, what then?" Katara asked.

"I happen to have friends in all the nations," Iroh said with a grin. "Even if he doesn't need to worry about my threat, there are other's who will keep him in line."

Katara looked at the old general and finally allowed herself to smile, at least there came some good in all of her being held against her will.

_**Ziggy's Corner: Okay I hope you liked this chapter! Santa Claus! Well okay not Santa, but Santa-esque. Grandfather Winter was taken for Grandfather Frost, who celebrates the Solstice and Christmas time in Russia, along with his granddaughter, the Snow Maiden. These kids were lucky they were all good, or I could have brought in references to Peter the Black, another Santa-esque figure, but instead of ignoring bad kids like Grandfather Frost did, or bringing them coal like Santa does, Peter the Black beats the naughty children, then stuffs them into his bag, and makes them work for him. **_

_**Okay reader reviews!**_

**_uchika na kage: Ring the bells and sound the trumpets! We now have fifty reviews! Congratulations my friend on being the fiftieth! Now I know we're going to get up to triple digets! Kool! Thanks for bringing my attention to Katara's feet LOL. No their not broken, but the ankles are sprained, and twisted, so it hurts for her to walk too much. This kind of makes her running from the Dah Boz a little weird, but if you stop and think about it, what would you do? Run and ignore the pain best you could, stoked on adrenaline, or get torn to shreads by monsters! Thanks for the love, and I hope you enjoy these chapters too._**

**_Okay on to chapter 10! It gets interesting now. _**


	10. Chapter 10

_**Ziggy's Corner: This tenth chapter is going to be short, very short, mainly dialogue, although you are going to see a glimpse of the other avatar, and set up the action that is going to follow in the next couple of chapters. This is going to be the last of the chapters that I am going to update this time around. The next time I think I will update five more chapters, giving your 15, then the time after that may see 8 chapters updating, giving you 23, and finally the last time another 8, giving you 31. If all goes well, this story could end by late Spring, early to mid Summer. Please keep in mind none of this is set in stone as of yet. This tenth chapter takes place just six hours after the end of the last. Enjoy!**_

"I can't believe this!" Zuko roared, storming up and down the bedroom's floors. "This has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard of!" He looked at his uncle and flung his arms at the girl, tied in her chair. "Did you ever consider what would happen if she tired to escape? And what of our finances now, uncle?"

"You know, if you would just stop venting and thinking of yourself," Katara began.

"Not a word from you!" the prince screamed. "You put him up to this; you're trying to sabotage me!"

"Gee Zuko, paranoid much?" the girl snapped.

"Calm down," Iroh said, rising to his feet.

"If this really was your idea, you've got a lot of explaining to do," Zuko snarled, turning on him as if the girl were no longer in the room. His chest rose and fell as smoke trailed from his nostrils.

"If you want to act like your father, then fine, I personally can not stop you," Iroh shouted, pounding his fist into a large oak table. "I won't stop you." He turned away and side. "I just thought I trained you better than that."

"My father is a good man," Zuko screeched. "He just wanted me to be strong, that's all."

"So if he challenged you again, would you fight him?" Katara asked. He turned on her, fist raised to strike, quavering as he stared down at her with flame filled eyes. He blinked, opened his hand, and slammed it down onto the table, breaking it. "Congratulations," she said calmly, patiently ignoring the robes that were digging into her wrists. "You've just shown strength."

"A damaged table is not a show of strength," he hissed.

"But refusing to strike a helpless opponent is," Katara said. "Your father would have struck me, and probably would have broken my neck because of it."

"You don't know anything about my father," he growled.

"But she's right, he would have, and thought nothing about it," Iroh said, edging closer to them. "I've seen him do it numerous times. He has your grandfather's frustration and your grandmother's anger and ambition, horrible combinations for a man wielding absolute power." He touched his nephew's chin and forced him to look at him. "Can you really tell me that _that_ is the kind of man you want to be?"

He stared at his uncle in silence, allowing water to roll down his cheeks. "No," he said, allowing himself to whimper for what seemed like years. His inner mind hated it, but somehow his body felt like he needed to do it, to go back to the simple times of his youth.

Iroh smiled pleasantly and slapped his nephew's shoulder. "Good," he said gently, "Because if you had said yes, I would have had no choice but to resign as your advisor." He walked over to the girl and cut the ropes that held her in the chair. "And I would have taken Katara with me."

He looked at the two of them and sighed, "I need some air. I think I should let the two of you talk."

"We don't have anything to talk about," Zuko said as he watched his uncle go.

"Well I guess then there's no sense in me asking you to let me go," she said, suddenly aware of how alone they were. She stared at him, never seeing him this broken and hopeless before. _He doesn't care about himself. He's thinking that his country is in danger without a good leader._ She frowned, and in his training his was forced to think he would be that leader. Forced, and pushed, and shoved, and kicked. Any free will or thought was drained out of him. She still did not like his actions or his plans, but it made him all the more human to her.

"You have had it so easy," he growled.

"Yeah, being hunted down by an egomaniac prince with delusions of messiahship that were forced onto him by his society is real easy," she said, without any anger in her voice.

"I don't mean that," he snapped, looking into her chocolate eyes, losing himself to the moment. "I mean," he stopped and sputtered with his words, determined not to speak Fire Nation dogma yet again. It would have meant nothing to her, and it was starting to lose its grip on him too. "Why did you choose to follow the avatar? You could have stayed in your village, safe and out of harms way."

A vision of the female avatar, Kyoshi flashed across her eyes and she stumbled for a moment. A stronger, confident voice that sounded like a mature Suki echoed in her ears, and the water bender seemed to speak them to Zuko as they entered her mind. "Fate has a way of bringing those who need to right wrongs and bring peace to where it no longer exists into the front, whether or not they want to go."

He stared at her as if she had lost her mind and then started to laugh. It started out as a chuckle, then to a laugh, and then into a riotous sound she had never heard come from his mouth before. He was laughing so hard he was nearly doubling over with pain as tears ran down his face. "And you call me egomaniacal with delusions of messiahship," he said as soon as he could catch his breathe.

She had no idea why she said what she did, and was a little embarrassed. "I suppose a little bit of you is rubbing off of me," she said with a smile.

"Let's hope not," he chuckled again. "You're far too beautiful to lose your looks right now." As soon as the words left his mouth, his flushed and put a hand to his head, his heart beating a thousand miles per second.

She stared at him, shocked and unblinking. "Well, you're pretty handsome too," she said, and then covered her lips with her hands. _What the hell? What's going on? And why can't stop my heart from beating so hard?_ He looked at her with open mouth wide and stared. _Should I excuse myself? What's going to happen?_ The last time she felt like this was with Jet and some how it seemed purer now than then, which was making it that much stronger.

Before either of them knew what had happened, they were wrapped in each other's arms, their lips pressed against each other, their eyes closed, their minds racing with new ideas, feelings and words. They pulled away, and both looked at their feet, both rubbing their heads as if the one was the mirror of the other.

Zuko shuddered, and looked at her with one eye. "Um. I don't know what that was, but maybe we're just tired. I think it would be a good idea to just get some rest, like my uncle says."

"You're right," she said too quickly. "We should probably just forget that happened." Her mind matched the look on his face. _But I don't want to forget about it._

"I agree," he said reluctantly. The two of them turned from each other with passing glance, and lay back in their individual beds.

Outside Iroh was listening and smiling. _Well, it's a start anyway._ The elderly general chuckled to himself, and decided to see what other kind of shops this town had.

/ 

"Your Excellency," a cloaked monk said, kneeling before a man in his forties dressed in strong purple and rose colored robes. "General Jet has apologized for the delays in the tactics, and claims he has information that demands your immediate attention."

"The Fire Nation has reached our shores, and a pretender to my throne has decided to step foot on them as well," the man said, his voice cold, hard and determined. The monk nodded his head.

Electricity rushed through his body as he rose to his feet. The figure removed his hood and ran fingers through his bright red hair, his greenish brown eyes glowing in the light of the palace's magnificent crystals. "I have no interest in the Fire Nation, should they behave themselves. But this pretender can not be ignored." Water, flames, and rock joined with the electricity flying around his body. The air hissed and moaned as it wrapped around him, and the monk, terrified and frozen, collapsed to the ground; pulled there by gravity itself. "I suppose it's finally time to leave my fine home, and show the world the true power of bending, isn't it?"

Ruby lips spread across a tan face, slicing against a large scar on the right side of his cheek as he smiled. "I shall very much enjoy this."

_**Okay I told you this chapter would be short! So what did you think of the kiss? In my outline I have them going to kiss, but are interrupted, but as I wrote this chapter, I decided to let them. It was needed I think, and has really caused them more confusion than if they were simply to be interrupted. Zuko and Katara's relationship is going to grow in the next couple of chapters, but what do you think of this new villain? It's not the first time I've tried a Lightning Bender, but this guy is a Gravity Bender too? And what other elements does he have control of? This is going to be a very powerful foe, and things get only more hectic as Aang and Sokka try to stop him, as Zhao and his group decide to return next chapter. Okay take care! And I'll see you all later. **_

Okay I just wanted you all to know that I had gotten a cold earlier this month, and now my monitor is really nasty, it looks like it is going to fall right off, and the computer repair guy simply made things worse. I'll try to update as soon as possible, maybe in May, but do not hold me to that, as my time is not my own in updates. I just promise to do the best that I can.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Ziggy's Corner: Chapter eleven. I want to apologize for not submitting as many chapters, but I have gotten a new computer last month for my birthday, and had to use a lot to place info from one computer to the next. I'll be naming Zula, Azula from now on, as that is her true name, and the Fire Nation female general is General Akikira (if that's the same as before, kool, if not, sorry but it's the best I can give up!).**_

Zhao looked out of the brow of his ship and squinted his eyes. The islands were just up ahead, which meant that probably so was the Blue Spirit, and the girl. If his cards were played right, it could mean that so was his main prey, the greatest prize an admiral could get in the Winter Solstice. He smiled, his muscles getting tight. Conquest, glory, they were the staple words of the Fire Nation for over a century. It was their right, their duty to bring order to the subhuman who lived on the same planet as them. It was their duty to use the land as a good civilized group of people would do. These islands would be no different.

"Admiral," a young female voice snapped behind him. He grew stiffer and clenched his fingers in the rails. "Admiral!"

"Yes your highness," he gasped.

"I want the ships to take port in the first island to the right," the princess said.

"With all due respect, Princess Zula …"

"My name is Azula," she growled. "And with all due respect, General Akikira and I have gone over the maps. The most successful point of conquest will be that island."

"But the Blue Spirit," Zhao complained. "There are no ships there."

"Is that a problem?" another woman asked. She was a big woman, with a hairstyle close to the princess'. She scowled with black red lips, and her brownish green eyes seemed to sparkle in the light. She dressed in dark clothes.

"Everything was fine, until you had to show up," the admiral growled.

"There is no time to bicker, I'm the princess, my father is the Fire Lord, and my will, will be obeyed." Azula growled. "That island will be the first to fall. Its small enough it residents won't put up too much fight for land, and its mountains make it perfect for us to make a defense."

"And the Blue Spirit will make good his chance to escape," the admiral growled.

"That's enough about talk about the Blue Spirit and Water Tribe peasants," Azula barked. "We are here on a military expedition, not on a wild goose ferret chase."

He turned to look at the arrogant, rich young girl and scowled. She returned the hateful gaze, but turned away. "If we can conquer the island, one by one the others will fall. If we move quickly, not even this superstitious folk hero, won't be able to slip away."

"Unless of course he's an actual spirit and can slip away into the netherworld, the general laughed.

"Lady Akikira, that's enough, any more of this senseless squabbling, and I'll have you both thrown off this ship." Azula looked at both of them. "Do I make myself clear." She looked at the two and crossed her arm.

"Yes your highness," they said in unison.

"And Captain Loah," she snapped. A man approached and bowed. "Have some of the smaller ships scout around the islands. If there are any ships are not that belong to these islands. If not, if there is anything the slightest thing odd, report right back to me immediately."

"Your highness, won't you need the ships for the invasions?"

"Are you questioning me, captain?" the girl asked coldly.

"He's right, you know," Akikira said. "We need every resource at our disposal, and these are my med, sweetie, not to mention I am your teacher, so I must decline the order you just gave."

"And you forget that I am the daughter of the Fire Lord, an authority higher than even you, Lady Akikira. So unless you want to see the local fish up close, you will shut your mouth, and send _my_ men to do _my_ biding." The older woman was astonished, not used to having her pupil talk to her like this, but she knew what she had said to be the truth.

"My apologies, my lady," she said, forcing herself to bow. Zhao was grinning from ear to ear, and she was hating every minute of it.

"Good, then order the attack to commence, I'll be in my quarters, writing to my father. Both of you pray I don't decide to include this little incident." She turned, and walked away as both the adults bowed both bitterly and fearfully at her.

"Aang where in the world are we going now?" Sokka asked.

"To gather some more information," the boy said. "People in the street say I'm not the avatar, that the guy who rules the warring town just over this hill is."

Sokka frowned and stumbled over his words. "Wait a minute, two avatars? Look I've heard the same things, but to be honest I think its some kind of con man pulling the wool over the eyes of the people."

"So did I," the boy said, flicking the reins attached to Appa. "But when I went to the spirit world, I asked Avatar Roku about it."

"And?"

"He seemed generally surprised. Roku said at first he thought it was a trick too, that a lot of people over the years tried to deceive the people, even before the Fire War. But there were incidents in the past, when darkness grows very strong, when its necessary for the avatar to share two human bodies."

"Two bodies? Two bodies! You mean there really could be two avatars?" Sokka's heart pounded against his chest. His long brown hair clung to his cheeks as he had just finished a bath on board the bison. "But if that's the case, couldn't this guy have used his abilities to fight the Fire Lord for you?"

"I thought about that, but …," Aang looked down and sighed. "That's going to have to wait. There's the town below us."

"I'm still not sure I like this," Sokka said, pulling his shirt on as quick as he could. "I mean this is the guy they say trained those monsters to attack innocent people. That doesn't sound very Avatar like to me."

There was a legend that Aang knew about, when the Avatars first appeared on the world, a thousand years after all four elements were developed into bending styles. The period of time knew of many avatars walking the earth, aiding and helping the people understand the craft of bending and justice. Until three thousand years after that, a lone avatar discovered scrolls of unmentionable power, and begun to lust for more than just accolades from the people.

That Avatar's name was Nar-Sha, and he collected a good number of other avatars to his cause, which he called the Nandi. Opposing him was an avatar named Krishnu, who led a war that lasted seventy five years. The world had nearly expired because of it, but in the end, the Nandi were wiped out. But had somebody found their writings?

They landed in the town and looked around, as people glared as they walked through the marketplace. Most of the people had heard of the boy, and not one of them believed the tales of his avatar hood. The real avatar had brought them peace and power twenty years ago.

"Aang, I really don't think we're wanted here," Sokka said.

"Neither do I, but I don't care," Aang snapped. The town was sand tan, with houses built in the mountains and sand dunes. The people were covered from head to toe in white rags, and loose fitting robes. In the center of the town there was a large fountain pouring the sweetest tasting water they'd ever tasted.

"I've never seen an island that was split between a forest and a desert before," Sokka send as they sat by the fountain.

"Its because of our fountain that the war began," a strange man said as he walked up to them. He had violet eyes, brown hair both on his head and his face. His clothes were light silver, and he was dressed like some kind of fancy sage. "Before I came here, the people were suffering, but once I arrived, things changed …," he smiled and waved his hand, causing a tree to rise from the ground.

"So you are the avatar everyone has been talking about?" Aang asked.

"I am, child. And I hear you have some interesting bending skills, yourself." He looked the boy over and turned to his friend. "Are these stories true?"

Sokka frowned and inched away from him. "He's the avatar, what do you think?" The man laughed and crossed his arms.

"Is that correct?" his citizens growled in anger at the insult to their leader. The man waved his hand to hush them. "I hate to tell you this, but someone's been lying to you, warrior."

"It's no lie," Sokka leapt to his feet. "Aang is the avatar. My sister and I found him in an iceberg he'd been frozen in for over one hundred years!"

"Sokka," Aang said, carefully. "Let's be careful."

The ruler barked out a strong laugh, followed by his subjects. "An iceberg? Really? How quaint. So where is your sister now young man?"

"She, she was captured by the Fire Nation, and then kidnapped by a person wearing a blue spirit mask."

Again the old man laughed. "So the avatar let his companion's sister get kidnapped and then stolen before he could rescue her?"

"What liars," a woman cried out.

"Stone them for blasphemy!" another person said.

Sokka pulled his boomerang blade and was ready for a fight. "It's not his fault, Aang was injured."

"No more lies, Sokka, it's really getting old," Jet said, walking next to the other avatar.

There was a slight moment of hesitation, and then Sokka leapt toward the lunatic teen. "You!" he howled. A kick to his stomach brought him down.

"Jet is a menace, and a killer," Aang barked. "He's dangerous."

"So is a child who thinks he's the avatar, but not." The ruler shouted. Energy pulsed around him, and he smiled as Aang found himself barely able to stand, let alone move a walk. "This is energy child, this is power, this is what the avatar is all about!"

"Gravity?" Sokka asked.

"Doesn't that prove that he's the real avatar?" Jet asked, crushing the other teen's shoulder.

"Powers are one thing," Sokka groaned, "but where was he when the Fire Nation attacked? If he's the avatar, and not Aang then why didn't he help us?"

"I'm old, but not that old," the old avatar said. "The war was well into its thirtieth year by when I was born."

"And you didn't try to help them?" Aang grunted, pushing the energy from his body away.

"Things change," the old man said, his eyes glowing blue, then turning purple. "I can't be expected to save everyone with what little time I have on the earth. Better to create one free paradise, one that is free of tyranny, and disorganization from individual thoughts."

Aang's eyes turned blue, his mind racing. His fears were realized. "You are not the avatar," he snapped his voice echoing the voices of thousands of other avatars before him. "You might have been granted a little of my power, but you chose to misuse it. You found ancient scrolls, and decided to follow the path of ease rather than duty."

"If I am not an avatar, then what am I boy?" the old man snarled, his own voice echoing through the darkness of ages.

"You are a Nandi," Aang said. "You are ruthlessness and corruption."

The old man laughed, despite protests of his people, who were a little taken back by his action. "What is the complete power of the avatar if not with the Nandi?" Electricity flowed from his fingers, his eyes lined with fire. "You will die little avatar, and then the world will know the truth it used to years ago."

Jet stepped forward and blinked, "Sir Eloni (An: I lost the info on his name so this will be it). What is this about?"

Eloni turned to the boy and narrowed his eyes. "Foolish boy," he said, his voice filled with venom. "You could have ended our war, but you let your emotions get in the way. Now I will put you out of your misery." With a crack of lightning, he burned the boy within an inch of his life. Jet dropped to the ground, barely breathing.

"My lord what is going on?" someone asked. "We thought you were the avatar not something called a Nandi …," the man dropped to the ground, electricity and fire burning away his life, and his hand went limp.

"The Nandi are the only avatars," Eloni hissed.

"That's enough!" Aang growled. Power filled through his body. "It ends here!" With a burst of pure white energy, Aang let loose a wave of energy and shot it at Eloni. The Nandi focused his own power and shot out a black wave of energy to counter. People ran away screaming, the wave of horror and fear flooding the entire town. The fountain's waves rocked back and forth and lashed out to attack people, and to attack each other, defending the waves.

"You have strength, but the avatars are a thing of the past. You're right, I've stayed here too long," Eloni cackled. "After I defeat you, I might travel to Banaras and visit Fire Lord Ozai. With him defeated, I'll bring a springtime of peace to the world. Those with bending abilities will become my new apprentices, and the Nandi will rule this world forever!"

Aang tried to match him step for step. But Eloni's energy was too great, he'd had too many more years of practice at his skill than Aang had. Slowly the boy could feel himself slip into unconsciousness, only to hear a kind voice flow through his mind.

_Aang, do not give up hope Aang. _

_Who are you? _

Someone laughed. _Someone who can help you, who has fought this very same battle you have, hundreds of thousands of years ago._

_Are you an avatar too?_

Blackness gave way to a valley lined with cherry blossom trees. Aang walked through the valley until he came across a man who was dressed like a lazy slacker, not giving any care to anybody. He lifted his straw hat and gave a roguish smile. "Hello there Aang."

"You are an avatar, aren't you?" Aang asked.

"Yep. You could say that if you want to," the rouge chuckled and grinned again.

"I can say that?" Aang asked, his anger starting to grow. "Well are you, or aren't you?"

The man chuckled and scratched his butt, rising to his full height. Aang had never seen someone so big. "Well, you're in quite a predicament, aren't you?"

"Okay, you are completely out of your mind," Aang snapped, turning to walk away. In the blink of an eye, Roku stood before him.

"Don't be so impatient Aang, he has what you need to defeat Eloni."

"But he's so lazy, and its like he's spent too many hours in the sun." Roku stared at him for a long time, before allowing himself to howl with laughter. "Am I missing something here?"

"When I was a young man, I felt the same way you do about him now," Roku explained. He looked over to the other avatar, who flashed him a big grin and a peace signal. "But don't judge him on the outside, he's much more powerful than he looks."

He didn't know how he figured it out, but his jaw dropped. "You're Avatar Krishnu, aren't you?" The very avatar who lead an army to defeat the Nandi. The young, large avatar chuckled and nodded his head. "How could someone like you defeat such a menace?"

"Hence why Roku said not to judge the cover by its book," Krishnu said with a wide grin.

Aang looked at Roku and frowned. "What's a book?"

"Its kind of like a scroll dude, but with many more pages, and has a hard cover around them." Krishnu said. "At any rate, I always feared someone might find the old writings of Nar-sha. I can help you defeat this latest Nandi. If you are ready."

Aang wasn't sure, but he knew he couldn't defeat Eloni by himself. "I'm ready."

His body was ready to give as he filled it with his life, Aang found himself on his knees, pain surging through every bone. He could hear Sokka call his name, but couldn't see him. His eyes were no longer his own. "Dude, you want to know what power is?" he asked, his and Krishnu's voices merging. "Then let me illuminate."

Power unbroken and totally raw surged through his body, and a brilliant silver light shot from it, straight at Eloni. The Nandi groaned and felt his bones shatter as energy poured over him. "This is not possible? How can anyone have such energy at such a young age?"

"Youth has nothing to do with it dude, it's the power of positive energy," Krishnu said through the boy. "It is the power of justice, something a Nandi would never understand." The light faded, and yanked what bending powers Eloni had in his body into Aang.

The boy felt the avatar pull away from him then, and he was again standing in front of Krishnu in the cherry tree orchid. "So you didn't kill him?"

"Dude," Krishnu sighed. "Life is precious. From the life of an unborn child, to all nature, to the elderly, all life, even a villains. If we killed them simply because we had the power to do so, we might as well have be Nandi ourselves."

"So you defeated them by absorbing their powers so they couldn't hurt anybody?" Aang asked. Krishnu smiled and shrugged, and then gave him a nod.

"You got it dude! Now go back and get that totally cute little water bender out of danger!"

"O…kay," Aang blushed. He liked Katara, but somehow he knew she'd end up with someone else.

In the dark of night, three small scout boats arrived at the island where the Blue Spirit's ship was docked. The commander of one of the vessels, turned to his subordinate. "Send a messenger hawk to the Princess," he barked. "Tell her we found them."

_**Okay, that's chapter eleven! Yay! I wasn't sure how to deal with Eloni, but after reading my book, The Handy Religion Answer Book, (written by John Renard, published by Visible Ink Press -- boy aren't I just the name dropper, J ), I found my answer. I also got the Fire Nation's capital's name by going through the Hindu section of this book. I must saw that I don't believe in reincarnation and the ninety percent of Hindu belief, being a dedicated Roman Catholic, but I do love a good story, and there isn't any better than Avatar. Okay, on to chapter twelve!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Ziggy's Corner: Okay, part 12! Wonder what Katara and Zuko think of their kiss in chapter 10? You'll find out in just a couple of seconds, but you'll also see a fight between big brother and baby sister too! The Fire Nation's conquest of these islands has been a smashing success, and now the only thing standing in their way is right on the island they plan to take over next! Let's get to it! (Oh, this chapter may not be as long as the other one. Of course it could be, but we'll find out). I just got the word from my sister, there will be no way to hook up AOL on this computer for April, so I'll submit these chapters in May. **_

They were in a new town on the island, marching as fast as they could Zuko couldn't explain it, but there was something bad in the air, and he wanted to find a new route to his ship, and get away as fast as he could. They'd all felt the power last night, something that was beyond even the avatar, and then another power joining it in battle before smashing it solid. "Hurry up! Move!" He barked. His men glared at him, but not one dared to argue. "Get a move on!" he screeched.

"Zuko you really must calm down," Katara snapped.

He spun on his heels and glared at her. "When I want the opinion of my prisoner, I'll ask you for it," his hissed.

She blinked and shrunk back. "So now I'm your prisoner."

"You always were," Zuko snapped, trying to fight the rise of his voice.

"Katara, please you have to…," Iroh began.

"That power we all felt," she growled. "It came from Aang, didn't it? You're afraid of him, aren't you?" Zuko glared at the girl and turned away. "Or was it the kiss?" she teased.

The fire prince turned on his heels, gripped her upper arm and spun her away from the moving caravan, giving strict orders for the men to keep moving. "That never happened, you hear me?" he hissed.

"Was it that bad?" the girl asked with a scowl.

For a moment Zuko opened his mouth, and then closed it, his mind racing with confusion. It wasn't bad at all, but that wasn't the point. Disgraced, exiled, or not he was still a prince, and this girl was just a peasant girl. These types of things just don't happen. "That's not the point," he barked.

"You hate me don't you!" she shouted, tears suddenly pouring down her cheeks. He was the son of a tyrant, a tyrant himself, what did she care what he felt for her? Katara ran her arm over her eyes and wiped her eyes dry, but the tears kept coming. "You just wish I would die!"

"Would you just keep your voice down?" Zuko growled, grabbing her arm yet again. She pulled away and glared at him. "Look, I don't hate you, its just with the war and your friend the avatar," he began.

"He has a name you know," she growled, her voice echoing through the valley they were walking through. "Its Aang!" Her hair, normally tied in Water Tribe fashion, was flowing loosely over her shoulders, stroking her neck and cheeks as she spoke.

"I know what his name is, but that's not important," Zuko growled. "That's not what we're talking about!"

Katara pushed herself forward and tried to wrap her arms around his body again, but he shoved her away. "You see, you do hate me!" she cried, tears flowing yet again.

"This is stupid!" he howled, not caring who heard him now. From the distance he could see his men pause and look, only to be urged forward by his uncle. "Why should it care to you what I think of you or not!"

"Maybe you're right," she hissed. Her face was bright red, so were her eyes. "After all, you're just a spoiled, self righteous daddy's boy."

"Don't you ever …," Zuko growled behind ground teeth.

"She has you pegged dear brother," a soft, yet dark voice giggled from behind them. They turned and saw Azula standing above them. The girl smiled and analyzed the situation. It had taken nearly a day since the beginning of the invasion to find this island, but that hadn't been to hard, they were set up like dominoes … once the first one fell, the residents of the others simply gave up without much fight. Ninety percent of these islands belonged to the Fire Nation now.

"Whose she?" Katara asked, turning to see bitterness, and fear in her captor's eyes.

"Not very bright, are we?" she asked Katara as she studied the other girl. "I called Zuzu my brother, so I must be his sister! But I suppose that being a peasant you've had very little schooling, so I suppose I shouldn't be too hard on you my dear." Azula cackled and turned to face her brother.

"I wouldn't General Iroh," General Akikira said with a smile as the old man rushed to their aid. The woman appeared from the horizon and waved her arms, sending a large group of soldiers to round of the other group of Fire Sailors and Soldiers under the prince's control. Soon after Zhao walked behind the general and move soldiers came to surround the small group. "I suggest we let our royal siblings have their moment."

"Really Prince Zuko, I'm curious, how did you come across this girl?" Zhao said, his hard evil eyes bearing down on Katara. She bit her lips and shrunk from his devious sight, Iroh coming around to defend the child from the cruel admiral' attention.

"That won't be important, admiral, the girl is my prisoner now," Azula said. "Actually I'm looking forward to having some girl talk with her, to see what kind of impressions my brother has left on her." The princess never took her eyes away from her brother. "You want to know why she was crying her eyes out, Zuzu dear?"

"Don't call me that," Zuko growled.

"It's because it was her first time," Azula said with her lips spread wide.

Katara felt herself blush and she rushed forward, stopped by Iroh's arm. "You don't know my niece," was all he said.

"But really, why should you care for a thing like her?" Azula continued to taunt. "She's a peasant, nothing more than a barble to be used in our little games." Lightning ran through her fingers and she pointed them at Katara. "Perhaps it would be wise to just be rid of her?"

Zuko lurched forward, but Zhao clamped onto his shoulder, and held him tight. "Katara! Azula leave her out of this!"

"So, you do seem to know her name," Zhao said with a smile, sinking his fingers in tighter. "Interesting. Do you know what we found on that toy you call a ship?" He pulled out a blue mask, and two broad swords. "It looks like you have a traitor of our nation on board, the man who took the girl from my base was using these very swords, and wore the same mask."

"Admiral, I will not tell you again to shut up," Azula barked, lightning now pointed in his direction. Zhao felt his pulse race and then turned away, releasing the prince. Azula smiled and moved forward to Katara, having her men pull Iroh away, and hold the girl. "You know like all girls around our age, I had my own little clique in the Royal Fire Academy for Girls," she began.

"How nice for you," Katara spat.

"I had an executioner, a spy, I even had an enforcer, but never a puppet," Azula said, walking around the other girl. "You a little young, maybe a year younger than myself, but I bet I could mold you into my image. I see the spark of hate and the willingness to fight." Azula smiled. "A mini me, one who had the traits of all the others, but not the individually. Yes, I think you might do nicely!"

"And then later we can gossip on the cutest boy and do each other's nails and hair," Katara spat.

"Sorry dear, I grew out of those things years ago," Azula snarled.

Katara looked at the other girl, and then spat on her face. Azula reeled a little, and wiped her face, turning to the other girl with eyes filled with death. Lightning again flushed through her fingers and she rushed forward, swinging her arm down to bring the finishing strike, but was blocked by her brother's fist, glowing red with a fiery blade.

"I told you to leave her alone!" They stared at each other for a moment, and then all hell broke loose. Fire soldier against fire soldiers, general against general. Zhao watched with interest, but took a few steps away from the lunacy. It would be interesting to gauge everyone's strength's and weaknesses for later.

Katara used her little jar and concentrated the water within to form a small fist, jamming it right into Azula's stomach, which allowed Zuko to strike her shoulder and her right knee, to bring the girl to her knees for a moment. "You'd fight with a peasant against family?"

"You and I have never really been family, Azula," Zuko said, reading himself for another attack. His sister focused her power and sent for a buzz saw of electricity which sliced neatly through his lower pants, and cut his leg a little, but other than a bit of blood and lack of cloth, he was fine.

Iroh and Lady Akikira sized each other up, and traded blows, backing up and rushing forward at slight angles to dodge, weave, and launch their own attacks. Both of them were strong, both had energy to spare, but Akikira was younger, and was filled with hate. Then again what Iroh lacked in youth and pure darkness, he made up for in craftiness, cunning, and knowledge that could only be accumulated by years of living. He waited for the woman to make her mistake, and then moved in, spreading his arms as if to take off and fly, and then sending two flaming walls into her direction, to box her into a corner. With speed like a puma hawk, he launched forward and delivered a knock out blast to her jaw, sending her into unconsciouness. He turned his attention to Zhao next, but by that time a shrill howl of pain and anger filled the valley, and all conscious eyes turned toward the source.

Zuko had been awake most of the night, thinking of that kiss and what it had meant, while no doubt his sister had slept soundly in her nice soft bed. Her strength was extraordinary, her speed was almost inhuman, and he was crumbling to his own knees as the fight continued. It was taking all his strength to hold her wrists at bay, as clawed fingers, lines with electricity inched closer. He knew Azula had more strength than she was letting on, she could have used those fingers against him at anytime, but she preferred to toy with him, making him anticipate the moment when his strength gave out, and the electricity would surge into his body, and kill him. A few minutes later, she had him on his back, pinning him by sitting on his waist, and bringing her fingers closer and closer for the kill. She was laughing as the seconds ticked away.

A few minutes before the turn of the pendulum, she had sent Katara wheeling backward with a fierce kick to the side of the girl's face. He couldn't see Katara anymore, but he prayed with his defeat here, that she was dead. The spirits only know what Azula would do to make Katara suffer if she were alive.

Those evil fingers were nearly at his face now, and the prince exhaled, defeat was swarming over him. It would end here in this valley. He'd never go home, unless in a box, and his sister would be the first female to assume the throne once their father died. The deaths and the blood of so many innocent, both of their conquests, as well as their own people would fill ever ounce of land. Rivers would turn red, the crows would have so much meat to eat, they'd probably never be able to fly ever again. He had failed his people, his country, his family.

"Azula!" It was Katara's voice. His pulse raced, Katara was still alive! Then he turned ashen, _No, run, get away! You should have pretended to stay dead! _His sister turned to look, and he could hear a swoosh, and then Azula gasp as hair tied in their family's tradition fell to the ground, and her locks flowed down to her shoulders. "Now we look alike," Katara was saying with a bit of bitter humor in her voice.

He could feel the pressure of his sister's weight ease up on him as she began to rise to kill the other girl. She gasped again as Katara splashed water across her face, and now she was half way to her feet, when Zuko felt his energy rise and he thrust those lightning drenched fingers into his sister's face, and hold them there.

The lightning bit at her face, energized and strengthened by the water on her face as Azula screamed in rage and panic. Smoke began to rise from burnt flesh and her body thrashed as if it was a fish rolling around in the last moments of its life, struggling to cling to its life. Finally she fell limp. She was still breathing, but Zuko could barely recognize that face that turned toward him now. One eye still full of hate, and flames looked up at him as she labored to breathe. The other eye was full of milky white residue. Azula was blind in one eye.

"What have I done," Prince Zuko said, shaking his head. "I … I didn't mean for this to,"

"I know, but we've got to get out of here, before more of your sister's men come," Katara said, taking his shoulder.

Iroh saw confusion and bitterness in his nephew's face, and he hurried over to him. "This wasn't anyone's fault, but her own, Zuko!" He took the other shoulder. "But we really should get out of here, and now!"

They were moving him a little, when Azula's arm rose almost of its own accord, and sent lightning spiriling straight down Zuko's spine. The boy dropped to the ground, and felt into unconsciousness, the sound of Iroh and Katara screaming his name slowly sending him into black sleep.

It took a good number of them to make him move, even though all he could do was mutter in his unconscious state that the fight was an accident, that he had not meant to scar his little sister. Zhao watched with drained blood as they left, unable to bare the sight before his eyes. It wasn't that he cared, it was just so grotesque, what lay on the ground now. Lady Akikira was starting to stir, as was a few other soldiers who had been defeated soundly. This might have been a defeat, but there was promise here. When Fire Lord Ozai learned what had transpired, he'd send the whole might of his army towards these islands. And that served Zhao's purposes fine!

_**Well I did say that this one would be shorter. And finally Azula is scarred a little different than what I have normally had her scarred. Am I weird for constantly disfiguring this fifteen year old monster? I hope not, I just figure that this is something that might REALLY, REALLY happen in the series. Anyway, next chapter takes place a day after this, and sees Aang and Sokka as part of a resistance against the Fire Nation. Stay tuned! **_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Ziggy's Corner: 13th chapter, its going to be a short one. By the way, I want to thank Jessica, for telling me which element I belong to, via a certain book about the hidden meaning of birthdays. I'm a water bender you guys! Thanks Jessica!**_

"This is insane," Sokka snapped. "First we lose Katara, then we find her again, and now she's lost again, and to make matters worse, the entire Fire Navy is coming down our throats!" It could have been an exaggeration, but it wasn't. Nearly all the islands had fallen, and more and more ships were arriving by the hour. Sokka and Aang were watching twenty to thirty thousand soldiers march off their ships from the safety of the woods, Appa being covered with thick dirt and whatever patches of snow or little bit of green they could find.

"It's not safe for us on this island," Aang said with a sad sigh.

"It's not safe for us on any island," Sokka snapped, putting his hands to his mouth to keep his voice down. "This isn't going to get us anywhere, I suggest we find my sister, and get out of here as fast as we…,"

"To do that, we'd have to reveal ourselves to the Fire Nation, and I doubt I have the strength to fight all of them!" Aang barked. He looked at his friend's face and sighed, "Sorry, I'm just tired that's all. "

Sokka looked at the boy and turned away, staring at him again a moment later. "We all are," he said, staring at Appa who was asleep with his eyes open, and Momo, who was laying on his back, his little arms and legs shaking from fatigue. It was then that he caught a glimmer of light and he put a hand on the boy's chest, warning him to stay where he was until he discovered the source of the light.

The warrior inched nearer to the light, his eyes narrowing as it seemed to call out to him. His muscles tightened, sweat trickled down his forehead and he swallowed, pushing back the bushes as a blade thrust forward and pressed against his neck. "Do not move an inch," a strong female voice commanded.

Sokka blinked his blue eyes shining in the light as he stared back at strong green eyes. "I mean it, do not move," the blonde haired woman snarled. She pressed the blade against his neck further and took satisfaction that he was now quite nervous.

"Who are you?" Aang asked. The woman was a tall as Sokka, her hair was tied into a ponytail, and she wore green and brown clothes, obviously not a member of the Fire Nation.

"I ask the questions around here," she snapped. A second person pushed past her, and came face to face with Aang, a young girl possibly about his own age.

Her eyes looked brown, but they were glazed over, like caterax (sp. Wrong I know, but best I could do. This is an eye disease. "Whose the meat?" the girl asked, her voice high, but her will strong. "Can I use him for boulder practice?"

"Not now Toph," the older woman snapped. The blind girl sighed and contented herself with poking the boy, who was trying to keep quite, as not to attract the attention of the Fire Soldiers.

"He's the Avatar? Isn't he?" the woman asked Sokka.

"What's it to you?" the boy asked bravely. The woman smiled and pressed her blade against his neck even further, a gentle breeze ran down his arms and back and he could do nothing but stare at the girl.

She stared at Sokka, and then punched him in the gut with so much gusto he felt nothing, he just passed out.

"Who do you think you are?" Aang snarled, rushing forward. A rock appeared out of no where, and blocked his path. The boy turned to look at Aang, who smiled at him, daring at him to move. "You're an Earth Bender!"

The girl turned around and looked around, before turning back to Aang, "What, me? No! I had no idea!" she smiled and used the earth to shove the avatar against the rock. She inched nearer to him and looked up and down. "You're the mighty avatar?"

"What of itttt………," he began, but stopped as Toph pressed him against the rock and planted her lips onto his. She held him there for a couple of moments, before the woman cleared her throat, and Toph frowned. "Ewww, not at all what I thought he'd taste like." She bent her arm back, and socked him, knocking him out.

AVATAR

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Toph giggled, sitting on Aang's chest as he woke up. His shirt had been removed, in fact most of his clothes had, and he had been scrubbed clean.

"What's going on?" Aang squeaked.

"Hey windy pants, don't get the wrong idea, I just wanted a better view of you, that's all." Toph snapped, getting off of him. "You're breathing was traveling along the ground, and I was able to see you through it."

The woman who had knocked the wind out of Sokka entered the small dark brown room, and looked at the two of them. "You were supposed to tell us when he woke up, Toph.," the woman snapped.

"Just because you're my cousin, doesn't give you the right to tell me what to do, Terra," Toph snapped.

"Actually since I'm your sole family member alive, and older than you, thus making me your legal guardian, I can," Terra said with a smile that seemed oddly like Toph's. She turned to Aang and tossed his clothes. "You really the Avatar? And don't ask 'what if I am?', I just want a yes or a no."

"Yes," Aang snapped. He slipped behind a crate and quickly got dressed. "What do you want?"

"Our general will tell you that," Terra said. "Get dressed and hurry up, oh, you'll see that Sokka's already there."

Aang quickly put his clothes back on, and followed the two females, until they were in a room so large and massive that a throne room could fit in it ten thousand times over. The rocks were silver colored, with patches of gold and some red and green.

"This place is beautiful," Aang said, sitting next to Sokka, who was busily devouring his meal that had graciously been given to him. The air was sweet smelling too, so fresh and clean, it was nearly intoxicating.

"We've thought so too," a large man said, walking up to Aang. He was larger than anyone they'd ever seen, so large he nearly hit his head on the ceiling. "I'm General Adam," the brown haired, fuzzy tight bodied man said. He was missing an eye, and his chest was scarred from battle as well. "We're the resistance to the Fire Nation's attack on our islands. We heard the Avatar was here, it was only by luck we ran into you."

"Look if you want our help, I'm afraid," Sokka began trying to eat and swallow and talk at the same time.

"Your mount and pet are both safe," he waved a hand, and a wall opened to show both Appa and Momo eating happily, and now even more so that they saw their friend. "We even have a friend of yours," he nodded, and footsteps could be heard, numerous with a very angry sounding young man coming ever closer and both Sokka and Aang's backs growing stiff as Zuko, Iroh, and Katara were pushed forward into the room.

"Aang? Sokka?" Katara asked. She burst through and reached her family, giving them warm hugs.

"What is he doing here?" Aang demanded.

"He's the Fire Nation's crown prince!" Sokka barked, taking his chicken buffalo bone and threatening him with it.

"He was," General Adam said with a nod.

"And I still am," Zuko growled, trying to fight against his restraints. "And I demand you hand over the avatar and his friends to me this instant!"

"Or what?" General Adam asked, hovering over the teen. Zuko broke though his restraints, and tried to attack, but he was swinging at thin air, as if Adam wasn't even there. It was Aang who noticed his foot movements, the man was moving so fast you couldn't even see him do it. Adam chuckled as the prince continued to attack, and then barked with laughter as Zuko tried bending, much to his amazement did nothing.

"These caves act as a deterant to that," Adam said. "I'm a pretty decent water bender myself, but even I couldn't make a dimple in any of these wine glasses if my life were on the line." His eyes turned dark, "Makes the caves perfect for defense against the Fire Nation."

"How did you get here?" Aang asked Katara.

"We were walking along, when General Adam's people took us by surprise," the girl said. She smiled, "Seriously it's good to see you two again."

"Zuko was declared an outlaw by his father…," General Adam said, but the teen interrupted him with a strong upper cut to the jaw. The general swayed a little bit, then turned and gently swatted him away. "That makes it easier for us to enlist him… and you as help in revolution against this invasion."

"If you think we're going to fight against our own people," Zuko growled.

"You'd be absolutely correct,' Iroh said, his long gray flowing down his shoulders. He looked at his nephew, who had been full of tears find out what his own father had done to him. "Besides Prince Zuko, those men and women up there and there 501st division. They're all sadistic, and loyal only to your sister, they'd have no problem killing you on site, and you know it."

"But …," Zuko could feel tears sting his eyes. "But I have to catch,"

"It won't matter," Iroh barked. "Your father has called us traitors and enemies of the state, even if we caught the avatar, our people would just execute us along with him." He could see the hurt in his nephew's eyes. "Fine, help, don't help, that's really up to you, Zuko." He turned to General Adam. "But as for me, count me in. Its either that, or we all go down with the ship!"

Adam and Iroh looked at each other and hardly laughed at the old man's joke. Then Adam turned to Aang. "And you?"

He thought for it for a moment, and he knew that Sokka wouldn't be happy. Still. "Okay, I accept. We're in."

**_Told you it was short, but at least Aang, Sokka, and Katara are all together again. And what do you think of Toph's appearance? Or General Adam's? Read and Review!_**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Ziggy's Corner: Chapter 14. I know the last chapter was a little confusing, like how the heck did Zuko's group run into the rebels? How did the rebels know that Zuko had been declared an outlaw? I've said from the beginning that this was an AU story, and getting more so all the time, putting together elements of both first and second seasons. The story is kind of evolving as I write it, so certain elements that were supposed to happen in later chapters have happened now. **_

Aang didn't know if he liked any of this. General Adam seemed to be on the up and up, but to work with Prince Zuko! "This really bothers me Momo," he told his little lemur. The rebels had asked him to do a little reconnaissance… without the aide of his friends. That alone got his goat up to the highest hill.

This village was now empty. For how long, Aang wasn't sure, but it looked like something out of a desert town. With a bar, old prospectors, had there been any, and wanted posters along all of their walls. It gave him the creeps, not even the Fire Nation would have taken over this town. There were no defensible points, the land was dry and arid so there would be no planting food or gathering water, it was a town that time forgot.

Aang pushed through the doors of each and every building, checking to see if there might be any hope. Darkness sat there to meet him each time. After an hour, the avatar had decided that the town was without hope, and picked up his little lemur. "Come on boy, time to go home."

"So you are the avatar," came a fierce, deadly feminine voice. Aang spun around and saw a young girl, dressed in red, with long black hair and eyes as golden as the sun itself. She smiled, her lips barely visible through a golden mask that she wore. Momo looked at her and rised his back, hissing. The girl frowned and took a few steps toward him. "Like it?" she asked, running her fingers over the golden veneer. "Your friend and my dear brother did this to me," she said, her tone full of major hatred.

"You're Azula," Aang said. She smiled. "I thought you'd be taller than that."

"Funny," she quipped. "I thought you'd be a lot older, and more muscular." She shrugged. "Well, we can't have everything we want." She blinked, and jutted two fingers out, light blue lightning rushing toward the boy.

Aang didn't have much time to react. He'd seen lightning used before, but not this strong. Leaping into the air, he landed on the roof of one of the houses, but she was already there, striking with lightning, and blue flames. Blue flames! He'd never seen anything like that before. He attempted to defend himself with his air glider, but a kick sent him reeling down to the ground, where Azula leapt down and pinned him to the ground. "This was it?" she gasped. "Zuzu had trouble catching this?"

"Get off of me," Aang growled, using his powers to try and move her. She smiled as he laid pin to the ground.

"You know this is too comfortable, I may just stay here all day." She smiled, pinning his arms. "Now all we need is a game to play? Oh, I know how about we play how long the avatar can stand my claws raking his flesh until he screams for mercy?" She smiled, and slowly stroking Aang's cheek with her nails. He grit his teeth, but forced himself not to scream.

Was this all a trap? Had General Adam been really working for Azula? For the Fire Nation? Had Prince Zuko actually been behind this? Aang exhaled a little, and then blew out, sending the girl into the air and down on the ground. If the general was to blame, he'd be sorry. The avatar state slowly began to take over, Aang could feel energy surge through his body, and he rushed forward, ignoring Momo's protests. The ground seemed to shake around his feet as he moved, his eyes focused solely on the evil princess.

"Somebody's been holding out," Azula said, standing to her feet. "Of course it won't help you." She sent another wave of lightning, and Aang took it, brushing aside the slight pain. "Interesting, but you're still mortal." Azula leapt from roof to roof, as Aang charged. Wind, fire and lightning battling all over the place. "Someone has most definitely been holding out." The girl said. He was stronger than she thought, which meant that this was going to be a whole lot of fun. However, battling him with the elements like this was useless.

Azula leapt to the ground and grabbed a blade from behind her sash, twirling it. Hand to hand combat was out of the question too, he was obviously stronger in this mode in both ways, but with weapons, perhaps she stood a chance. The avatar leapt down and took his air glider, twirling it around. "You are an evil monster," the boy said his voice echo like.

"That's a point of view," she said with a smirk. The two clashed yet again, blade to glider, neither giving an inch to the other, neither giving ground. An hour past, nearly a second, and still they battled.

"You are going down," Aang growled, using his might to pick up one of the buildings and tossed it at the girl, who stared like an idiot as it was flung at her. Another building, and then another, Azula was breaking a sweat as she leapt from spot to spot, roof to roof breaking a sweat.

_I'm actually sweating! How dare this ancient sage have the gall to make me sweat!_ Another building came her way, and Azula used her strength to blast it, dropping to the ground, fully tired as she looked up at Aang, hovering over her. "Fine, you beat me, too you long enough. I surrender with honor."

Aang stood there as if he had not heard the words. "You are an evil being," he said, his voice still echoing.

"I believe we've been through that already," Azula sighed in disgust. "So just take me to your leader and…,"

"You enjoy the suffering of others, the pain you cause without thought of those you inflict it on," Aang continued.

"Look if you want to write my biography you should have just said so, now if you don't mind," Azula said.

"You don't deserve to live," Aang said, levitating a building, and hovered it over her. "You need to leave this world."

Now Azula really was sweating. "Wait, I don't understand, you're the avatar, you can't just kill a person willy nilly like this," she hated it, her voice was full of fear. It made her feel weak, desperate. She felt like she was going to throw up.

"I am the avatar, it is my duty to judge the guilty," Aang said, the building coming closer to the evil girl. It was his best friend's voice that shocked him a little.

"Aang, don't do it!" Katara cried. The girl ran up with a legion of rebels, all of whom stared in awe at the power of the avatar, and in interest at the prospect of Azula as a prisoner. "You're better than this!"

"Aang, the message I gave you was interfered with," General Adam said, "the Fire Nation had spies in our network!"

"What did you expect fool?" Azula cackled, forgetting her predicament for a moment.

The angry and rage returned, and Aang was bringing the house down on Azula again, when the vintage of Roku appeared before him, everything turning into a haze. "Aang, you must think carefully."

Everything was gone, it was only Aang and Roku. "I don't understand."

"You are the avatar, you've been blessed with great powers, and cursed with great responsibilities. Striking an opponent, especially when one has surrendered is a path of dishonor, and evil."

"But Azula _is_ evil," Aang protested. "Shouldn't I take her from the world?"

"Have you forgotten Krishnu's words of advice so soon? All life is precious. It all comes from the Divine Author. Being all good, He gives us all goodness. It's up to us whether or not we want to follow that path."

"If this Divine Author is so great, why not take the option of evil out of the equation from the start?" Aang barked angrily. The stories of the Divine Author had been passed down from generation to generation, they'd been ingrained in Aang's teachings from the start of age four at the Air Temple.

"And then _what?_" Roku asked.

"What do you mean?" Aang asked.

"With no choice we'd be puppets to His will. Such an action would not benefit one supposedly of loving and all good definition. It would be one of a tyrant. The Divine Author did not create any of us to be our master, but so we could find the path to peace, and find His love. He uses us, the avatar to be His will, His agents, to help bring balance to His and our world."

Aang thought about that for a moment, taking the position of meditation and pupilship. "But couldn't we choice between two goods?"

"Wouldn't those two goods be different?" Roku asked. "And if so, wouldn't one seem to be better than the other, the other the lesser?"

"Maybe, but what if the situation would be different, then the first would be the lesser and the second would then be better," Aang said.

Roku nodded. "There would be confusion, which is why the law of nature is unbending, unchanging, because it's author is so. Now assume that the two 'goods' were picked, one better and the other lesser, wouldn't the lesser be considered less moral, less perfect?"

"True, I suppose," Aang answered in time.

"Then we're still in all reality choosing between good and evil," Roku said.

"But isn't time an illusion?" Aang questioned. "If time were an illusion, then maybe so is life, and if that's so, by striking her body, I'm not really killing Azula, just destroying an image?"

"Then what becomes of the 'real' Azula?" Roku asked. "And is it in your power to make such a choice?"

"She'd be reincarnated I guess," Aang said, the blue mist soothing and calming him. "And… I'm the avatar, so yeah I guess it would be my power to make that choice."

"Only a select few are reincarnated, Aang," Roku scolded. "The avatars, and those who have a higher mission that they must accomplish. All others pass into the spirit world, for the judgment, and for eternal life or death. And because you have power, does not mean you are allowed to judge."

"We're agents of keeping the peace only," Avatar Kyoshi said, appearing next to Roku. "We're not to rule the 'normal' people because of our gifts. It is up to the people the peers to judge who is guilty or not. To do otherwise makes us set ourselves up as gods and goddess."

"Which we are not," Avatar Krishnu said. "We might have extra abilities, but they're from the Divine Author, who is the one and only divinity." He frowned. "To choice otherwise would be the path of the Nandi."

Aang looked at the three incarnations of avatars, and down to his feet. He knew now what he had to do, and with that knowledge, he heard Katara calling him out for peace again. Aang blinked and looked at the house, hovering just an inch from Azula's chest. He had the power to kill her, but that didn't mean he had the right to use it. She had to be held accountable for her crimes, but her victims, not by some semi-omnipotent twelve year old. The avatar spirit left, as Aang tossed the house aside.

Azula couldn't believe her luck, or the boy's stupidity and cowardly action. "Idiot," she hissed. She pointing with her fingertips, and shot blue lightning again, striking Momo as the pet tried to save his friend and partner. The lemur cried in pain and dropped to the ground, hearing Aang's cries of distress, but he knew he'd duty.

When Aang turned back to Azula, he'd discovered she was gone. The girl had vanished as quickly as she appeared. The boy rushed to the stricken animal and held him tight, until Katara took him from him, perhaps not realizing what she was doing, and a light of blue surrounded them. The next thing Aang knew, a very weak, barely breathing, but still alive, Momo tiredly squeaked in his arm.

Wide eyed, he looked at the girl. "How did you do that?" he asked.

"I … I don't know," Katara said. "Somehow I just did it!"

**_See, AU! Katara has discovered the power to heal, and Aang has learned a very valuable lesson. He might have the power to judge the guilty, but that doesn't give him the right to horde it over those with lesser powers. Short chapter, but the next couple should make up for it. I hope you liked it!_**


	15. Chapter 15

_**Ziggy's Corner: Okay when I get distracted, I REALLY get distracted. Anyway, here is the 15th chapter! This one's a little longer, and Aang and Katara chapter, as they learn techniques from a Water bender trainer in the rebel camp. There is going to be more romance here, and a bit of jealousy on both Aang's and Zuko's behave. I hope I'm doing this well!**_

Aang's mind was still on the injured Momo as he and Katara were lead into a large auditorium. General Adam had insisted that both of them learn more water skills, especially after Aang had nearly murdered the evil princess. The boy had thought about denying the request, but he knew he had the responsibility to learn this technique, he had the obligation, the necessity, and so it went, on and on and on, until the boy could not stop the scolding voice in his head anymore. "Alright, I get it, I get it!" he barked.

Katara smiled at him, her eyes twinkling. "Just so you know," she giggled. Openly she was calm and relaxed, although her insides were turning summersaults. She'd wanted to do this since she was a little girl, since she had been so excited to learn that she had these gifts, and that there had been no one to learn from since her mother had been killed. The caves were supposed to stop one from bending, but this certain area seemed far enough from whatever influence that held the place that there could be done some training here.

Behind her and Aang were Toph and Zuko, neither was happy to be there, neither understanding why they had been selected to watch the training. Toph wanted to be anywhere else but here. Training Aang Earth Bending she could understand, but why in the world was she being told to watch someone train him something that she could not do? And why him? She shuddered, remembering how Terra had told the General of this kiss. _It wasn't even all that special. I mean I only did it to get his goat!_

Zuko had his own problems. Cutting his hair, disgraced, he still felt a twinge of alliance to the Fire Nation. Why should he allow this training to even happen? The number one enemy of his country getting stronger should be the last thing he should allow. But as he watched Katara walked through the room, her legs moving back and forth, her hips swinging back and forth, he could only smile. Even her hair smelled… good. He blinked and shook his head, her hair smelled good? _What am I doing smelling her hair?_

A bone thin man stood in the middle of the room, around thirty or forty with patches of brown gray hair sticking out everywhere. He looked like he'd be right at home in the middle of some sinister lab, conducting odd experiments. "So these are my new students?" his voice was gravely and hard, with etches of boredom. His eyes looked liked diamonds, and looked like they were about to explode in tears.

"That's them," Toph said, similarly bored.

He looked at them, from top to the bottom and frowned. "Which one is the avatar?"

"The boy," Zuko growled, his body itching to still stop this foolishness, his mind pressing him closer to the girl. _What the hell is going on with me?_

The trainer looked at Aang and chuckled. "This can't be the avatar, he's too scrawny and young."

"What?" Aang yelped. "Look I might not look it, but I'm actually one hundred and twelve."

"Should that mean anything to me?" the man asked, looking at Katara. He frowned and stroked his chin. "She can't be the avatar either, she's only a girl."

Aang had to throw his arm at her chest to stop her from leveling the fool. "What does me being a girl have to do with anything?" she howled. "And look at you, you're scrawnier than Aang, you look like a scarecrow."

The man shrugged. "Look, I prefer to have students who are committed, and mature, you're barely have breasts and the boy I doubt even has one single armpit hair." Again Aang threw himself to block Katara, resting his hands on her shoulders, a motion that brought heat to Zuko's cheeks, and narrowed his eyebrows.

_He's touching her, who does he think he is? And who does that jack off think he is by insulting her?_ He shook his head. Why should he care if Aang touched her, or if some idiot who was too brain dead to think rationally insulted her. Still, watching Aang with Katara, his jaws set tight, and he clenched his fingers tight. It should be him calming her down, even though they'd probably get into a major argument before that happened. He was better at it, he knew he was.

"Look, it doesn't matter how we look, we're both dedicated to learning water bending, and we're both willing to learn, even from the likes of you." Katara growled, pushing a finger at the man's face.

He looked like he was ready to drop, but he sighed. "If the general think's its for the best, then I guess I truly have no choice." He stood back and sat down, motioning them to follow. "Now, the trick to water bending is to learn to calm yourself, to embrace the element, so that it becomes an extension of your body."

He rose to his feet and pushed forward, willing the water in front of him to move and become an image of his fist. Leaping around he released his grip, and the water splashed upward and came raining down, freezing into drops of solid ice blades. The weapons came down near Aang and Katara who both squealed, Aang reaching out to hold the girl, and blushing as she went instead for Zuko's grip, without realizing it.

"What are you doing?" the prince asked, blushing himself.

_Zuko? What is she doing?_ Aang blinked and stroked his head. He began to blush, and narrowed his eyes in frustration. He had hoped to reconnect to the girl during the training, he hadn't liked the way she had drifted toward the prince, and had told her so on many occasions, but she had blown him off. He looked up at the trainer and began trying to do what his master had done, much to the man's shocked horrified reaction.

"What are you doing boy? You're not ready for such a move yet!"

"I'm not?" Aang asked.

"No, you could have killed yourself doing that!" he roared.

"Then why did you show it to them in the first place?" Zuko scowled, the image of a broken Katara coming before his eyes. _Come on already get out! I don't like her, and she doesn't like me!_

"To show them what _could_ be accomplished." The man was pacing now, "Had he let me finish, I would have told them that." He eyed them all for a long time. "Toph should have told you I'm not a patient man."

"I think they can all see that," the blind girl quipped.

"This is the move I will be teaching you first," the man said. With a wave of his arms, he conjured up a few tentacles of water, "Now I want you two to try and defeat them, using what bending you know."

"How will that help us learn…," Aang began to asked, when one of the tentacles grabbed him around the waist and tossed him into a wall.

"Questioning, not thinking will bring disaster, now work!" More tentacles came at them, at rapid speed. Aang used air, to brush them aside, as Katara used her whip to grab onto to one of them and toss it into another. They were running, jumping, their eyes and mouths wide as more tentacles came. _She's really good, but the boy most definitely needs work. He does show promise. _The tentacles were coming around smacking anything in side, with the exception of the man.

"Watch it, we're not part of this," Zuko cried, as one smacked him in the back.

"Then encourage them to do better," the man said with a dead smile.

Aang kept a close eye on Katara, he'd learned so much by studying her. One, two, three, and … a mixture of water and air brought down another tentacle, and a third. He clenched his fingers, his mind still thinking about how she had gone over to him, how she held on to him for safety, even though he had tried to kill all of them time and time again! His rage was growing and it was taking everything he had not to explode.

"You call that fighting, twinkle toes?" Toph teased. "You're never going to beat all those tentacles like that!"

"Do not call me twinkle toes," Aang said. "And could you please not talk, a little busy here!"

"Just ignore her Aang," Katara said, pulling free of a tentacle that was squeezing her around her waist. She used her mind and froze some of the water, sending the icy blades toward the teacher, who slyly ducked them, the tentacles slowly losing their form.

"Impressive," he chuckled. "But unfortunately you will not beat me this way."

"This is a waste of time," Zuko growled. "Just finish this, or don't finish this, but I'm leaving." A tentacle blocked his way, and when he went to attack the man, a few more grabbed him by his arms, turned to ice and began thrashing him around the room. "What in Agni's name?!"

Toph found that the dirt around her had turned soft, and quickly buried her body with the exception of her toes and head. "What are you doing?" she shrieked, trying to bend her way out of the dirt. It gave way a little, only to turn softer and held her more tightly.

"They can't fight worth beans without some interest involved," the man chuckled. "I won't let any of this go too far, but I want them to learn a lesson."

Zuko was beginning to thrash more wildly around the room, and started to lose his lunch. Though it was ice holding him, fire didn't seem to affect him, and he could feel darkness take him. There was a word he knew to make it stop, but instead of using it, a different one slipped out. "Katara!" he cried. _Oy this is just great! I'm asking this girl to save me when she has no way of stopping these things herself!_

_You like her don't you?_ It was Uncle Iroh's voice, chuckling.

_Not now uncle! I have too many other things going in my mind without adding you to the mix!_

_My big brother finally has a crush, and on a peaseant of all things, isn't that just the cutest thing, Zuzu?_

_Azula's here too? Well hell, why not father? Why not the damn avatar and the girl's brother come on in here? We could have a pool party!_

Katara looked up and saw the teenage boy flinging around. She did what she could, but the tentacle holding him was too quick. Aang looked at her and up at the thing, and rushed to help but she shook her head. This was something she had to do, wanted to do for herself.

Unfortunately the not so jolly green eyed monster filled Aang with anger again, what was it about the prince? Had he poisoned her, brainwashed her? This wasn't fair! He heard Toph scream, and then laugh… and then sneeze? He turned his attention to her and saw that the tentacles were tickling her toes and nose.

"I hate having my obes ticelebed," she giggled and sneezed, her voice stuffy. He wasn't sure if she meant nose or toes, but he didn't care. If Katara didn't want his help, he was sure the girl would. After all, they'd shared something that Aang had only wanted to share with Katara. Aang and Toph had actually kissed. And maybe, by helping Toph, he could make Katara jealous enough to pay attention to him.

Unfortunately the tentacles would not have it. They formed a solid wall of water, and blocked him from the young girl. "Stop this," Aang angrily barked at the teacher. The man smiled.

"Try and make me," he laughed.

Toph was a giggling, sneezing mess, holding her jaws tight to stop any more laughter, or sneezes, while Zuko was going for the ride of his life, and not to mention, the tentacles were still attacking the two students.

"For the love of Agni, stop this!" Zuko growled. He was headed for the wall, and his eyes grew the size of saucers. Then before he hit it, he was dropped, did a loop dee loop, and brought back up. He was growing delusional now. He could swear that he was watching everyone swimming in a pool.

Aang was growing frustrated, the tentacles were more a nuisance than a menace, but the problem was that his plan of making his female traveling companion jealous was quickly going down the drain. He had tried to attack his master, as had Katara had, numerous times, and caught him by surprise, but nothing that stopped the attack completely. It was then that Aang felt his chest compress and he became calm.

_He said something about thinking. Not thinking would bring disaster. He said that the attack was an extension of himself, but when we've attacked him it had no effect. _It was then that something came to him. What if it was not the mentor who was attaching them but just conducting the attack? He never said anything about this being _his extension. _Aang breathed in and out, and then looked around, studying the walls. He waited, listened to the environment, and smiled. With a gust of frozen air, he sent a air scooter toward the corner of the room, and broke through the wall. General Adam looked at him from down below and smiled.

"It did take you long enough, but was this the wisest idea?" More tentacles launched at Aang, grabbing his wrists and ankles, stretching him out. "Are you strong enough to deal with more than one bender?"

That clue tipped the general's hat. Katara frowned and sent a blast of water into another wall, and then blasted Aang free. The two of them quickly made work of the walls surrounding the area, knocking hidden water benders from their perches, ending the attacks, the waves going back into the pool, a very sick Zuko put down on the ground, where he quickly began vomiting. Anger burned in his body as the girl approached him, and yet it seemed to make him oddly happy. He blushed, and saw Aang turning red as the girl walked to him. For some reason, that made him happy.

"You little, snitty, twinkly toed goof," Toph growled, pounding up to Aang, "What was all that about?"

"Hey this was my first time," Aang barked, looking at the girl. "You got free, didn't you?"

"No thanks to you, twinkle toes," Toph snapped, punching Aang hard in the arm. "I hate, I hate, I hate," the third hate being the loudest of the three, "having my toes tickled!" Again she punched him and turned away.

_So much for me getting together with her today,_ Aang thought. He sighed and yelled out to her, "Don't call me twinkle toes!"

The girl stopped and thought it over, "Your right," she said over her shoulder. "You're more of a bubble butt."

"Bubble butt?!" Aang cried, flushing red as Zuko laughed at the joke.

"That's enough," Katara snapped at the prince, walking over at the boy. "Don't mind her Aang, you did a good job," she said smiling.

The blood rushed all over his body, and he smiled as she hugged him. He looked at the prince, whose teeth were clenched so tight that they were nearly snapping in half. Aang smirked, and squeezed her a little tighter. "You did good too, Katara." Zuko narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists.

"You both did good for your first trial," General Adam said, with smile, walking over to the two kids. Katara and Aang broke free, their eyes and jaws dropping. General Adam chuckled. "This was just to see what you could do, to see if you were ready." He crossed his arms. "I'll be teaching you the next couple of days."

"But then why…," Katara began.

"We'll discuss that in a little while, for now, let's go there's a banquet waiting in your honor."

"So it was a child's idea to go through all of that?" Aang asked, picking up a piece of lettuce and putting it into his mouth. The banquet room was even larger, and much further down in the earth than any of the other caves or rooms. It was filled with colors, bright golds, strong reds, soft blues, brilliant oranges, and soft greens. The colors of regality and the four nations of the planet.

The room was full of people, most of them wearing masks, while musicians played festive songs. Children giggled and ran around, leaping, rolling, scaring each other, telling stories, wrestling, sword practice with wooden weapons. It seemed like the happiest room of the entire resistance headquarters. General Adam was wearing a white mask made of ferret owl feathers, and wore pure white clothes from head to toe. Iroh was on a makeshift stage, singing gleefully as he sipped from a cup of tea.

"What kind of armed resistance are you that you'd let a child decide such an important training?" Zuko hissed, poking at a piece of roasted partridge.

"We might be a resistance, but we're still a people who hold onto our traditions, especially during the Winter Solstice. On this day, we have a tradition that lets one of our children become king or queen of all the islands. They get to make up the laws for the day, and whatever they proclaim is a law for the day." He chuckled, "Of course some of our Earth Mages aren't fond of the tradition, but we generally tend to overlook around such things."

"Such traditions are even more so special for us during times of trial," Usia, the general's wife, said. She smiled, her hair light brown, with touches of red in it too. The woman looked at the fire prince, who had stopped eating to look at her, and blush. "Is there something wrong, dear?" she asked, concern filled her voice. He swallowed and looked away blushing even further.

She looked so much like his own mother. They could have been twins, she even had her hair pulled in in the similar fashion of his mother. "Nothing," he muttered. "I'm not feeling very well, would it be okay if I were to leave for my quarters?" He blinked, why was he asking for permission? From peasants of all things?

General Adam looked at him a little distressed but shook his head. "Of course, Prince Zuko," he said. Unknown to the boy, General Adam had met Ursa at one time, and even she had to admit that his wife had indeed looked very much like her twin. They had the same voice, same attitude, same everything. Usia had a little bit of a temper with her husband, something he hadn't seen with Ursa, but that temper had been one of the things that had drawn him to her. He knew what the boy's problem was.

Katara seemed to since it too, and turned to walk after him. She quickly caught up with the prince and caught him by his arm. "Zuko," she said softly.

"I'm not in the mood," the boy said, pulling away from her grip. "Why don't you just go back to party with your friend and stay there?" his words were hard and dead.

"What is wrong with…,"

"I said leave," Zuko roared. He turned to face her and glared.

"Sure Zuko, push everyone away, just so that it's easy to feel sorry for yourself." She turned to walk away, and he gripped her wrist.

"You do not get to talk to me like that, girl," he growled.

"Katara," she snapped.

"Whatever, I'm going to my room," he barked.

"You might want to let go of my wrist first," Katara said through her teeth. "Or am I to be your prize?"

He released his grip and turned to look at her again. "I am not like that!" he growled.

"And what about your father?" Katara asked. For a moment she was afraid he was going to strike her, but he sighed and put his hand down.

The truth was that was very much like his dad. Every ball, every event he had brought his mother by her wrist or on rare occasions her hand, and showed her off, as if she were an animal he had hunted and mounted on his wall. He had little patience for her in private. After Azula had been born, he'd insisted that they have different rooms, commanding her to sleep with him only when he felt his urges. Even then it would be for less than thirty minutes, and he'd kick her out. The one time that his mother had really put her foot down, his dad beat her within an inch of her life, though his grandfather nearly did the same to him once he found out. Then he had sent his dad out to look for the avatar a second time.

"You don't have to be him, you don't have to have his respect of love," Katara continued. Zuko stared at her for a long time, nearly looking like he was about to strike her again, but calmed himself.

"You know nothing about my family," he said quietly.

"Nothing except the few things your uncle has told me," she said as quietly. Zuko spun around, his face full of red hate.

"He had no right," he screamed.

"Its his family too, not just your's," Katara shouted.

Zuko clenched a fist and looked at her, finally flinging it at her, making her jump as he punched a hole in the wall behind her. "I'm going to my quarters, do not follow me."

He turned and walked away, looking around the corner as he passed it. Katara stood there, staring at him, a mixture of fear, bitterness, anger, and sorrow swamping her face. And plenty of pity. Zuko slipped away, hurried to his room, and collapsed behind the door, holding his knees. Anger burned in his chest, but he couldn't figure out where the blame belonged for it. His uncle, how dare he tell her anything about his past? The girl, Katara? She had no right to push herself into his past. The avatar? Had he just given up, he could have gone home! But would he really have wanted to? Would his father have given something else to push him away? He'd brainwashed Azula, pushed her to hate Zuko.

_Do you hate Katara? _

_She's the enemy, she's stopped me from my goal._

_That's an excuse, do you hate her?_

He had to think long and hard about that.

_Or is it your father you hate?_

Zuko had to think a long time for that. Longer than he had in a long time. Night had come before he realized one way or the other, and then that damn voice hit him again. _Do you hate your father?_

_He's never given me any reason to do anything but, other than being my dad. He's abused me, insulted me, made my own sister hate me, hate our mother! _"I hate you Ozai," he spoke in the darkness. _Why would you call your father by his first name?_ "He's not my father, he has no right to be called that. My father's name is Iroh." And with that thought, everything that had happened from the past slid off his shoulders. Zuko was reborn. And he had a new mission. Ozai would fall, even if he had to go through his sister. His uncle would sit on the throne, as he was supposed to. He was disgraced and detitled. He knew who his enemy was now. "I hate you Ozai, for all the evil things you've done, I won't rest until you are brought down!"

**_Wow! I didn't mean for it to go this way! Stories really can write themselves I guess! Now that realizes who his real enemy, can he bring himself to fall in love? Let's see in the next chapter!_**


	16. Chapter 16

_**Ziggy's Corner: Chapter 16! Now that Zuko has found a new enemy, can he discover a new ally? Can he find love? Let's read and find out! By the way, the part in the last chapter where General Adam tells the kids that a kid was allowed to become ruler for the day? Yep that was based on a real live Christmas tradition! It was called the Boy Bishop, or the Bairn Bishop. And the mask wearing that's called Mumming. The bishops didn't like these, because they tended to interrupt mass, with people barging into the churches during mass to celebrate with masks and songs, and the boys who became bishops for a day tended to get very rowdy. I'm sure that a lot of you are happy that there is more holiday parts to this story, as well as more Christmas info from yours truly! Okay that being said, on with the new chapter!**_

Three days had passed since Zuko had realized how he felt about his father and his father's regime. The bitter, avatar hating boy was gone now. Zuko still didn't like Aang, someone he saw as an enemy of his nation, which despite his hatred of his father, he still very much loved. He was now a proud member of the resistance, hoping to overthrow his father's dark empire.

Under his leadership they had fought the enemy forces, in a few minor squirmishs, and today had one their very first victory. He surveyed the town they had just taken back and cross his arm. "Third sector, report in," he barked. He waited for a couple of seconds, before a squawky man rushed up to him.

"There are a few enemy units dug in, but our men seem to be doing well. We should have their surrender in the next hour or so."

"I want half an hour, or I'll have you replaced with someone who can do it," Zuko said dully. The man looked at him duly, but and then inched away. "Do you understand?"

"Yes sir," he said, a little bit two bitterly, but all the same with enough intelligence not to let it really be heard. He scrambled away.

The day went that way, until the last resistance fell to his force, save for one. They were a group of twenty men, and three women, who were so devoted to his father, that surrender would never even enter their minds. "Give them no quarter," Zuko commanded.

"Sir," the adjournment asked.

"I know it's not your way," Zuko said, "but if we let them dig in any further, they might get brazen enough to fight us more fiercely, or have reinforcements brought in."

Katara frowned, looking at the teenage prince. "You're asking them do to something against their nature," she said.

"She does have a point," Iroh admitted. His nephew looked at him and frowned. "I know you disagree with me, but I still feel if we're going to be accepted here we have to play by their rules."

Zuko looked at them again and narrowed his eyes. "The general put me in charge of this unit," the boy said.

"That doesn't give you the right to be a fire bending tyrant," Katara shot back. She clenched her fists and glared at him, daring him to say another word. After all the general had given her co command of the unit, she had ever right to challenge his order as anybody … more so in fact.

"You…," he stopped. "You, you girl!"

"What?!" Katara turned her head down to her body and blinked. "By the water spirits, when did this happen?!" she asked in mock aghastness as she stared at her breasts. "Why didn't anyone tell me about this?" Zuko turned bright red, and his uncle chuckled, covering his mouth with his hand.

"Grow up, this is war time," Zuko shouted.

"That doesn't give us the right to commit war crimes," she shouted back. The two of them were now chest to chest, glaring golden brown eyes meeting glaring light blue eyes.

"Why do you have to be do damn stubborn?" Zuko hissed.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Katara howled. She put a finger into his chest. "You're stubborn, arrogant, ignorant, selfish…," she began.

"You seem to have the same qualities," he shouted.

She clicked her tongue, "I'm not selfish."

"You haven't been much help to me, so obsessed in your views, I'd call that selfish," Zuko snapped.

"Oh yes I'm so horrible, how dare I not let you enslave us all."

"That again, why is it that again?" Zuko snarled. "You know you are so damn arrogant."

Katara glared at him and inched toward him. "You know you think your such hot stuff."

"You can't help the truth," he said with a shrug.

"Arrogant snot," she snapped lowly.

"Infuriating witch," Zuko purred, closing in on her.

"A witch am I?"

"Why else would I be compelled to do something like this?" he asked, and pulled her close, kissing her gently.

She pulled away as he let go and blinked, "Okay, where did that come from?"

"Katara, there's something I wanna tell you …," Zuko began.

"That you plan to surrender and go on trial for your crimes against our people?" Jet asked behind, twirling his blades. They turned to face him, and took defensive positions as they realized he wasn't alone. Twenty armed guards were surrounding him, each with murder in their eyes. "Katara, it's been a long time."

"Not long enough," the water bender snarled.

"You know him?" Zuko asked.

"I was her first," Jet said with a smile. His eyes turned dark, "And only. She's mine you Fire Nation Scum."

"I don't think so," Katara hissed, and sent a wave of water at him. Jet side stepped it, and caught Zuko's sleeves with his blades, twirling him to the ground. In the next twist of his body, he had grabbed Katara's wrist and pulled her in to kiss her cheek. "Let… me… go!"

"We have catching up to do, you and I!" Jet purred. A rope descended from the trees, and Jet grabbed onto it tightly as his men held the prince at bay. In the distance she could hear Iroh's voice, barking orders to rush to their direction, they would not come in time. "A lot of catching up to do!"

"Jet you maniac, you let me go," Katara screamed. "Let go, I mean it!" She looked down at the prince and screamed at the top of her lungs. "Zuko!"

"Katara! Let her go!" He twisted and pulled free of the thugs, sending three of them to the ground, he leapt to grab for the girl, but Jet clicked his heels together and revealed a sharp blade in his heel, and slashed at Zuko's hand. The Fire Prince dropped to the ground as his uncle and his men rushed forward, subduing most of Jet's croonies. "Katara," Zuko screamed, his body beginning to engulf in smoke, tears running down his cheeks. "Katara!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

_**Man am I evil! Short chapter, really dark ending! Poor Zuko, just about to admit his feelings for the girl, and this happens. Now most of you will want to throttle me, or gag Jet, but whatever you do, do not give up on the story! We're just getting to the good parts! **_


	17. Chapter 17

_**Ziggy's Corner: Chapter 17, poor, poor Katara! She's really getting the raw end of the stick in this story! If one didn't know me they might think I was a Katara hater! (I'm not by the way, I love how they make her so strong in the series, and believe it or not, she has a massive strength in my story too ), anyway let's get to the next chapter and see what happens!**_

Lady Akikira was practically dancing along the walls of her newly acquired fortress. The messanger hawk had just arrived, with good new in hand, faster than she had ever dared hope imagined. "This should be very fun now," she giggled to the enemy armor, all lined up against the wall. "What fun we'll have."

"Nice to know someone's enjoying themselves," Zhao grumbled, walking in on her. Their eyes meet and neither moved for a long time. "So you have Fire Lord Ozai's permission to hunt his son down like a dog."

"Azula wasn't kidding when she said the message could get to us faster if she wrote it," Akikira said with a dark grin. The room was dimly lit, with only two candles glowing in opposite directions, and the smell of peppermint filling the room. There was a small wreathe of lime green hanging on the wall, a throw back to the silly superstitions of these ridiculous people, Akikira had hoped to have the fun of educating… very slowly.

"Then I suggest that you best start your hunt, I've received information that Zuko has taken command of a batch of rebels, and have led them to a few victories." He smiled as he watched her stop moving, "I don't think that would look to well on your record, to let an outlaw like that move around so freely."

"You have your own problems to worry about, Admiral," she cooed. Akikira knew that Zhao didn't like her, that in fact he had no love of any of the women who served in the military. "The Avatar is still on the loose, and you have to have a share in putting down this revolution as well, not just building that pathetic little castle on the farthest eastern island. Or didn't you think I knew that?" She smiled.

You could have heard a pin drop as they studied each other, two predators sizing the other up, trying to determine if they were able to devour the other. "What are you accusing me of, exactly?" Zhao finally said tight jawed.

"Me? Nothing," Akikira said with her own tight smile. The woman walked over to a small cupboard she had shipped over with her, and pulled out a cup of saki. "Would you care for some?"

"No thank you, I much more prefer the natives drink of grog." She frowned.

"Superstitious twits." She downed her first cup of alcohol and then poured herself a second cup.

"You don't like the holidays, I take it," he said, scratching his sideburns, and smirking.

"I don't like superstitious nonsense, and that was when I was still back in the Fire Nation. I loathe the Earthbender's traditions even more!"

"Seems like someone never got a visit from Grandfather Frost," Zhao chuckled. She glared at him and downed her third cup of saki.

"Once our rule here is cemented, I intend to outlaw even saying Happy Winter Solstice," she grumbled. A fourth cup, and then a fifth. "Are you sure you don't want any?" he shook his head, astounded as to how this woman drank, and watched her look between her cup and the bottle, and toss the cup away to down what remained of the strong wine in the bottle, in three or four swallows, followed by the woman shattering the glass against the wall. "It wasn't that good a year anyway," she said, showing no signs of drunkenness.

If Zhao had needed a reason to hate the woman before, she was handing him bucket loads these last couple of days. _This bitch has no sense of self control at all!_ "Where is the princess anyway?"

"Taking a bath," Akikira said. She smiled, "She seems very depressed as of late, I should double my training of her."

"And neglect your duties, to her father, she's a big girl, she can handle herself," Zhao said, though he hated to admit it out loud.

"True, but normally she would have had a servant escort her to the wash room, to bath her, ever since her brother scarred her in battle," Akikira said. She tapped her chin and frowned, sitting at her desk to write something. She squinted and grunted, and finally pounded her desk, pulling out spectacles to place upon her nose as she wrote.

"I had no idea that you had to wear such… devices," Zhao said, raising an eyebrow. _A weakness, how very interesting. _He smiled. "And what are you writing?"

"What I do in my own room is of none of your concern, _admiral._ If your so concerned about someone, go to the princess and see if there is anything she needs."

"You use my title as if I were an underling," the man scowled. "We're equals in rank."

"Except this is my commission, my expedition to lead," she snarled, her hand reaching for another bottle. "You are second in command of this business, if you can't deal, I suggest you request a transfer."

He waited for a moment, studying her even further. Zhao opened his mouth to speak, but closed it just as fast. There would be another time, if he had his way. He turned from her and walked out of the room.

Azula was indeed in the bath, letting the water run down her arms and smooth, naked pink chest. She lay there, her eyes closed, pain pounding in her head as scars pulled and stretched across her face. Finger shaped scars, her fingers. The skin around her nose was pulled upwards now, at it appeared like her nose had started to shrink. She scowled in the darkness. It was that water bender's fault, Zuzu's fault. They had hurt her, embarrassed her, made a fool out of her. Akikira had refused to let her take any more missions after she had failed to capture the avatar. She could override the general, but she knew her father would start growing tired of her constant "whining" if that were the case. Better to play along, get on Akikira's better side again, and then go from there.

She might have been only fifteen, but she missed her room, her own baths. There were plenty of servants to be picked from in this fortress, that she could either order or lure into the wash room, to bath her, but to see her in this disgrace, it wouldn't be the same. They would have something over her, some bit of power, and she was the power holder, not the other way around.

She remembered a time a few months ago, right after she had barely turned fifteen when she had ordered one of the palace workers to get her bath ready. She enjoyed the shocked look on his face as she disrobed and entered the tube, ready to be washed. Normally she could clean herself, and do a much more better job of it, but this was an easy way to disarm the lesser people, and get information, and this boy had a good deal of info she deeply wanted. She enjoyed toying with him, feeling him tense up as his arms stroked down her own, to wash her. She giggled as they talked, and squirmed as the cloth tickled her sides and ears. She chastised him, threatened him with bodily harm for that, no sense in letting him get to comfortable with her physic.

In the end, she had gotten what she wanted, and decided to play with this new mouse a little longer, until he was no longer useful nor fun. In the end, he had never seen it coming, too busy ogling his princess' body. She had grabbed him by the hair forced him under the water, and shot lightning into the waves, backing away so she would not get hurt herself. She'd injured many a peasant, but never did anything like this until now. Her body tightened as his thrashed in agony, flipping like a fish on dry land as the lightning ran through the waves and attacked his vital organs. It was intense, and she found deeply pleasing.

How she loved those moments, when she could really get down and dirty with her victims, watching the light slip from their eyes. Watching how they desperately pleaded for mercy, and how they got none. Under Akikira's tutelage, her deviation grew even greater. She learned new tricks. One man was strapped to a table, wearing nothing but his lower undergarments. The general had shown Azula how to torture using bamboo shoots under the fingernails and toenails. By the end the thrashing hunk that had been a person had confided everything to Azula, and she rewarded him with sweet death.

Another peasant who had offended her at one of her parties, found a worse fate. It was nearing winter, not quite there, but it was cold enough. Azula had the poor woman yanked to the outside, stripped of everything but her outer garments, and splashed with cold water. Earlier that year she had two servants a male and a female tied to posts, wearing nearly nothing, smothered in honey and left to the insects. The girl giggled. Many a male had tried to woo her, but the fact was, she was in a massive love affair with sadism and torture.

But that had been all taken from her, the day that damn peasant and Zuzu degraded her beautiful visage. She rarely could get a peasant to do anything now, save for the bark of a command. It meant nothing to torture them either, as the pleasure no longer was there. Zuko! He'd taken that from her. Instead, she heard the giggles, and hidden smirks of those lower than herself. They whispered in dark alley ways, and corners, on the boat, in the villages and towns conquered, no doubt already in the very halls of her own home in the Fire Palace itself.

_She deserved it. She had it coming. Now people can see the demon on the outside, we've all know existed on the inside all these years._

Tears of frustration rolled from her eyes, and stung those same scars. Azula's fingers wriggled and clawed, clamping down on her hair and pulling. There it was … pain. It was calming, but it was no longer the friend it had served before. She splashed and howled, kicked at the water, as if the waves were mocking fingers pointing at her. The girl jumped out of the tub and began kicking it viciously, not minding the mind numbing pain a bones popped and possibly broke. Frustration was breaking, and her claws gripped the metal tub, and pulled it from its hinges, her arms tossing it at the opposing wall, her fingers shooting lightning at it.

_She's a freak. A spoiled rotten brat, whose nothing but a lesser animal now. _Those damned voices! Azula clutched her head and clawed at it, refusing to stop as she could feel blood run down her head. Those voices, there had to be a way to silence them, there had to be!

There was a mirror in the room and she looked at it, howling at its image. An animal roared back enraged. Then her old face appeared. Her beautiful, perfect, well groomed face. Right besides the new one. "How pathetic you are," it mocked.

"Shut up," Azula howled.

"Why should I? Look at yourself? A naked, half insane savage. You call yourself a princess? Pathetic."

"I'm only the image of the real you," Azula growled inhumanily.

"So you buy the lies of the peasants," the pretty teen snarled.

Azula backed away, and squawked in pain as a piece of broken tub jutted from her left sole. "You don't know what you're talking about," the girl cried. "You're nothing, I'm the real Azula."

The image laughed. "Please, you're not even worth mocking. You're lower the filth who live in the slums of my city."

Azula shook her head. "You be quite," I'm the real Azula," she howled.

"Is that all you can say? A savage learning to talk like normal people." She narrowed her eyebrows. "This is what father loves more than Zuko?"

"I am strength," Azula scowled at the mirror. "I am the strength of the Fire Nation with no limits."

"But you have no self control," Azula said. "Strength with no self control doesn't matter anything. It's self destructive. Better to know your place, than rage against what you can't change."

"You spoiled brat, you don't know what control, what power is!" the bestial Azula snarled. She rose her clawed fingers and narrowed her eyes. "Let me illuminate for you." Lightning shot from the naked Azula's fingers, only to be matched by the proper Azula's blue flames. "I AM AZULA!"

"No, you are not," the mirrored image shouted. "I am Azula."

They bickered back and forth for a few more minutes, until mirror cracked and scattered everywhere. The naked maniac blocked her face, and when she looked back, dozens of Azula's stared at her, each claiming to be the original one. As she looked through her tears, they seemed to merge, becoming one. A masked teenager with royal calm, and dangerous energy appeared. "I am the Azula, you were meant to be," it said. "The one and only. The one whose destiny is dwarfed by no one. Power and Strength, knowledge and self control all combined." The earth seemed to shake under this new images feet. "Learn to let go of what those who have no future think, and you will discover power unlike what has ever been brought to this world."

"Azula," the naked savage laying on the cold floor of the wash room said, as if speaking the name of its goddess. "Azula, I am Azula."

"If that's true, that stand, and show the world why it has reason to bow before you." The masked figure said.

Clouds seemed to lift themselves from her mind, as her self pity was drained away. "I am Azula, Azula!" The fifteen year old cackled, and rose to her feet. "Azula," she laughed.

There was a knock on the door, and Admiral Zhao slowly opened it. He looked at her, and then the room for a long, very long time. "Princess Azula wha…," he began in honest horror and shock.

"Just training, admiral," Azula barked, her hair a mess, blood, glass, and steel implanted and covering her body. "Perhaps I've over done it, my apologies." As she picked up a towel from his hands, and walked away she seemed to feel the very earth shake. "Have the servant's clean up the mess."

"Princess Azula, I don't think that…," she turned on him and rose a hand, shaking a small piece of broken metal he had picked up. It twisted around his wrist, and she smiled.

"Did I not make myself clear, admiral?" she asked, her voice seemingly echoing through the hall.

For the briefest moment in his life, Zhao felt absolute fear. As she had twisted the metal, her eyes had turned completely gray, with silver lines running through them. He swallowed. "No princess, of course not."

"Good, because I've decided I want _you_ to clean up the mess." She could tell he was about to lose his temper, but he seemed smart enough to let it go.

"Of course, your highness," he said, forcing himself to not let his voice quiver. She disappeared around the corner, and Zhao slumped to his feet.

Katara was pacing back and forth in the small hut that was her new home. "This is so stupid," she grumbled.

"What is?" Jet asked, entering in the room. He put down a plate of food and looked at her. "You may not understand it, but I did this for you."

"What, kidnap me, lock me up?" she looked down at her food and turned away.

"Katara, you have to see reason, you and I were made for each other," Jet said calmly.

"Well then someone messed up the order," the girl said, sitting on her cot.

He bent down next to her and forced her to look him in the eyes. "Look, I'm nothing like that Fire Animal, that was all over you," he said.

"No, you're right," she said with a nod. Her face twisted into bitterness. "He's not insane like you are!"

Jet looked at her for a long time and then growled under his throat, slamming the food into the wall. "I know you have feelings for me!" he roared.

"Yes, I did. Before I found out what kind of a lying, sick, psycho you are." She looked at him. "Then I felt sorry for you, and now I'm feeling really repulsed."

Jet was now pacing back and forth. "We could be so good together," he snapped. "The new king and queen of this planet, we'd end the war." He spun on his heels. "How many innocent people have to die before someone ends the war?"

"You tell me, you seem to like enjoying taking them out as much as the Fire Nation," she spat.

"You don't understand," he muttered. "They all forced my hand, I had no choice!" he barked.

"Children, Jet?" Katara howled. "Little children who were trapped in a building, they gave you no choice?"

"This is not about…," he began.

"You're right, it's about how you've hurt everyone you've come into contact with," she screamed. "I'd tell you that you need help, but it wouldn't do any good."

Jet shook his head, his eyes filled with fire. The image of that blasted prince kissing her was too much. "I'm a better man than most, Katara."

"No Jet, you're a child, you're less than a child in fact."

Frustration. He clenched his teeth and swung at her with his blades. "I could take you right now if I wanted, you know? I thought I'd try to play nice, but the fact is, you belong to me!"

"I had no idea someone had purchased me, I so have to start remembering to read those merchandise labels every day," she cooed. "And you could try and take me, but I'd kick your sorry deranged ass long before that ever happened."

Jet looked at her; tears, snot and everything else running down his face. "You don't deserve me," he sobbed. "You don't even deserve to stay on this world one minute more," he pressed himself against her, and pressed his blades to her neck. There was a bit of concern for a moment across her eyes, but it faded fast. Jet looked at her, and pulled away, putting his blades back where they belonged.

He banged on the door, and Smeller-bee opened it up, looking at him as if she had seen a ghost (Ziggy: I don't normally interrupt my stories like this, but I recently found out that Smeller-bee was a girl! I don't know if any of you knew it. Getting back to the story). "Do with her what you think best," Jet snapped at her. He turned to look at the girl one last time and literally howled in rage as he disappeared.

Smeller-bee looked at Katara and scowled. "You were never good enough for him. I tried to tell him that."

"So I've heard," Katara said.

"But I have an idea that should make us a good bit of money, and ensure that this island won't have to suffer war too much more longer." The small girl smiled and closed the door on Katara.

**_Okay! I really like how this chapter played out. Azula's scene went longer than expected, but I think it turned out just fine! Again, I heard from a reviewer (not one of my stories but from the author whyamidoingthis01's story "I don't Play with Fire Anymore") that Smeller-bee is a girl. I thought if it was true, it might be interesting to make her jealous of Katara and be the real villain in what happens next chapter, which will be just a short one. Okay I hope everyone's still having fun! On with the next chappie!_**


	18. Chapter 18

_**Ziggy's Corner: Chapter 18! This chapter is going to be all Katara … ALL THE TIME! WWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's the Katara Channel! LOL, just kidding. It does have Katara, and Jet. I'm not quite sure if Smeller-bee was a girl, the person who posted that might have thought so because the character was voiced by a girl, but for the remainder of this story, a girl she shall be. It's going to be a very short chapter.**_

She was being hauled to the center of town now. The little girl ahead of her wearing a bold smile as the teenage water bender was being pulled forward. Jet was off to the side, glaring at her. "You brought this on yourself," he mouthed. Katara mentally gave him the finger.

There was no doubt about what was going to happen. It was an auction. But a very special kind of auction, with only one prize, and only a small number of people. Katara was being pulled to the stage, and forced to sit. Smeller-bee walked up to the crowd. "Ladies and gentle, General Jet is proud to put up for sale, a prisoner of war." There was an excited murmur, and Katara turned to look at Jet, who was smirking self satisfied. "This woman before you is in excellent shape, and on top of that, a water bender!" there were gasps. "That's right folks, a human dish washing machine!" Katara glared at the girl. There was excitement in the air. "Normally Jet does not believe in slave labor, but with the currant conflict, and now the invasion of the Fire Nation, things are rough."

It had been Smeller-bee's idea to sale her, although it had been Jet to give the thumbs up. Katara felt bile in her throat as so many people looked up at her, their eyes focused on either how they could use her, or how they could make her pay for joining the "wrong" side in their little war. A few looked at her a little to kindly, and it gave her the creeps.

"She also served as a commander in Fire Prince Zuko's army," Jet yelled from the distance.

"Is that right?" the voice was heavy, and sent waves of terror down Katara. She didn't want to look, she felt herself pull away, but Smeller-bee grabbed the chains and yanked her forward. "In that case, I most definitely would like to offer one thousand gold coins," Admiral Zhao strolled past the crowd, flanked by armed guards.

"You stay away from me," Katara screamed. She'd rather stay with Jet and be his "pet" than go with this monster.

Jet seemed to realize this and pushed forward. "He's from the Fire Nation too, think of what we could gain by selling him back to the Fire Lord."

"An early grave, is all you'd gain," Zhao threatened, never taking his eyes off of his prize. "Two thousand gold coins, and peace for this town."

Jet twirled the straw in his mouth. The people were not prepared for this kind of thing, they'd have no way of taking Zhao, even with a fight, and they'd lose money. "Two thousand five hundred gold coins, and the promise that this town can rule itself."

Zhao still refused to take his eyes off the girl. He'd heard from the base that an ambush had taken the girl from the prince, and he'd jumped to get her back. He wasn't done with her, any more than he had been done with her mother. "Two thousand and twenty, and the Fire Nation will set up a board to supervise what goes on in this town."

"Twenty five hundred, and the board only reports on our loyalty to the government," Jet snapped. He could see how Katara fidgeted. "That is if no one wants to dare challenge this man's bid?"

Two brave souls rose their hands, although they weren't entirely pure souls. A blast from fire from Zhao, and a blade from Smeller-bee ended their bravado. For the first time the two male villains looked at each other in the eye. "You're brave, and determined, I'll give you that, but don't play games with me."

Jet sighed. "Twenty two hundred dollars, and our own people on the board, to give us a fair voice," he said reluctantly. The admiral smiled.

"You're smart too," he chuckled. He turned to the crowd. "Would anyone like the dare, er to challenge my bid?" Not one hand raised. Zhao chuckled. "Well then my dear, it looks like you're back to square one!"

"No, damn you Jet, no!" Katara cried as the money was exchanged, and Smeller-bee yanked her over to Zhao. "Get away from me, you damn pervert!" she cried.

Zhao smiled at her, forced his lips onto hers and then punched her in the stomach. Katara crumpled to the ground, as Zhao caught her and lifted her over his shoulder. "Nice doing business with you." He turned and left.

**_See, I warned you short chapter! Now you all REALLY have reason to hate Jet! And maybe Smeller-bee too! And most definitely Zhao. Up next, the heroes strike back!_**


	19. Chapter 19

_**Ziggy's Corner: Next chapter. And even I admit its about damn time!**_

Flames shot by the regiment as the men of the rebellion rushed forward, screaming like demons from hell. Most of them were kids, hell ninety percent were kids, and they were just as frightened as they were determined. A few of them were Earth Bender, which meant they were part of the artillery, and opened fire upon the enemy as they came forward, with tanks, and armor that could make the tanks jealous.

Sokka swung his boomerang, bringing down a soldier, and tossed it at another one, sweat pouring down from his face, his eyes dark and hateful. They had Katara… again! Just as soon as they had been reunited, she was gone. Damn that Jet, damn him to hell!

Another soldier went down, and then another, this one lucky to strike Sokka in the shoulder, but the young water warrior ignored the pain, anger and frustration driving his body past human limitations. With a round house kick, he brought the soldier down and continued his march into enemy lines.

All around him, men and boys feel, screaming or cursing. Blood, flesh, and scorched earth filled the battlefield, and all around him, it was silent, only his anger and bitterness filled his body… fueling him to move on. It was as if he was a human machine, something perhaps the Fire Nation _might_ have created a few centuries from now, to feed their hunger for power. Indeed, there was no life in his eyes as he brought down another solider, and marched straight forward toward a tank rolling his way.

"What in the world are you doing?" the voice was familiar, but somehow so… distant. He couldn't place it, and swung his boomerang toward it, and was spun around like a top on its side. A gust of air burst by him, and slammed into the tank, spinning it also, but off the cliff it had just climbed.

"You could have been killed, you idiot," Toph rushed up to him and smacked him in his head, causing him to blink. "Aang saved your life, you fool."

He cocked his head, blinked a second time. "Aang?" He turned to look at the air bender and frowned. "Why… why did you stop … me?"

"You are made of flesh, you think you can take a _tank?!_" Aang glared at him, turning his staff and tripping a Fire Bender without looking at the attacker.

Now Sokka's eyes were open, and he noticed the flesh, the blood, broken bones, the stench of burning oil. He realized he was on an open battlefield, and gasped, as if he had just woken up from a nightmare only to witness the birth of a worse nightmare. "I went after a tank?" He turned and looked at the carnage.

"You did, or tried to, you brain dead, pony tailed nut job," Toph snarled. "Even I'm not that blind I don't know that there's a killer death machine in front of me… and I'm actually blind! What's your excuse?"

Shock made him numb, and then the anger was back. "They took her… _again_." His body shook as if the ground rumbled beneath his feet, and even the sky seemed to dim darker, grays and heavy blues flooded over them.

"Sokka, I miss her too, but we got her back once, we can do it again!" Aang said. With a whip of his hand, he pulled his friend to the side of the field of combat and motioned some of the other soldiers to follow. "But we can't allow or anger to….,"

"You allowed her to be with… with _him_ again," Sokka snapped pulling free of Aang's grip. "We don't have time for this, any one of these Fire Bender's could know where she is."

"Slicing them like they're pieces of cat-eel jerky isn't going to make them give any answers either," Aang countered. "And I didn't allow Katara to be with or without anyone. I don't _own _her, she doesn't need my permission." His own heart tugged at his chest though, the fact that she had be more interested in Zuko than him.

"Hey can the old married couple please focus here," Toph complained. "Look I only have known the two of you for a little while, so I don't know the whole complex details, but if you hadn't noticed, we do have a battle on our hands."

"Well, yeah, we kind of knew that, when the tanks started coming, and people started getting hurt," Aang said.

"First rule of combat, twinkle toes," Toph snapped, latching onto the monk's collar. "Never get distracted, even if you _are_ off in the distance from the main arena of combat."  
As if stressing her point, a few enemy soldiers dashed over the horizon, yelling out battle cries, their weapons glowing in the light. Toph sighed in disgust at being interrupted and using her full weight on her left leg slammed the ground hard, sending the Fire Soldiers screaming like little girls into the air and back into the distance.

"Complaining is what you do _after_ the battle is over, bitching and whining you do _after_ the complaining. But what you _do _during battle is focus, or else you might end up like those dolts that just went on a free amusement park ride, or worse." She turned to Sokka. "Concentrate on your ranks, those men and women you were put in charge of. You're no good to them dead, crushed by metal tanks."

"I know… but," Sokka said, anger and hate still fueling his adrenaline.

"Do _not_ interrupt me. Look, you're angry, I get that, I understand it. Cool, use it to keep the fear of this reality at bay, or your no good to anyone, but don't get drunk on it, or you're no good to everyone. Including yourself. Make a mistake like you just did on the field again, and not only will you _not_ fight on the mainlines here, you won't even fight period. I'll have you're scrawny butt hauled to the prison where you can cool down."

"You can't do that to me," Sokka growled, and dropped to his feet as Toph slammed her fist into his stomach. "The general wasn't sure about you, why else do you think I'm here too? I have orders to make sure you don't go to far, and buddy, you're three seconds away from going too far. Got it?" The last two words were accentuated with such steel, Sokka was certain she'd gutted his innards with them. "He doesn't trust me?"

Toph ignored the shock from both boys. "Can you blame him? He doesn't know you, and you have every indication that you're too wet behind the ears for something like this, with a massively big fuse. Dangerous combination. Now, if that hurt your poor widdle feelings, too damn bad. This is war. Go home and cry to mommy. Or get over this and use those emotions like the tools they are, to suit our needs."

She waited for a retort of any kind, and turned away. "Sergeant," she called out. A man came rushing by. "See that the commander is reunited with his unit, and keep them in a solid line, three by three. I do not want them cutting any holes into our ranks that can be split, understood?"

The man nodded, and saluted. "Yes, ma'am." He slipped under Sokka's right armpit and helped the young man to his feet. "Can he still fight? He looks injured," he asked.

"Only his pride is injured," Toph said. "As to the question can he fight, that's for him to answer." She stared at him. "As to the question, can he lead, that will be interesting to find out in itself as well. Keep an eye on him."

"I don't need a babysitter," Sokka grumbled.

"Prove it," Toph said. She pointed a finger southeast. "Your men and women are in that direction, I hope. General Adam wanted the south ridge taken by mid nightfall. Think you can handle it?"

"Watch me," Sokka growled. His bitterness was returning, angry at himself, and at the young girl who had embarrassed him so.

"Good, because if you can't take it by then, or even shown any progress, I'll have you off the field so fast you will have thought a tornado swept you away." She smirked as she could tell he was about to say something else, "Dismissed," was her final words on the matter, and the sergeant saluted again, and off they went.

Aang was frozen, shocked at what had transpired. "That was harsh don't you…," a slim finger brushed against his lips, and she stared at him.

"Listen around you, Twinkle toes. What do you hear?"

Aang frowned, "Carnage, chaos, insanity."

"Harshness is all that stands between those things, and a vicious end," Toph said. A few seconds passed. "The general wants us to take the forest up ahead. We need to regroup with our unit now too, don't want him thinking I'm a dolt."

"You know," Aang snapped, hurrying to keep up. From time to time he had to use what skill he had to fend off an attack or even save a failing comrade, but still he knew he was not done with Toph.

"I'm blind, Avatar, I didn't know you had a disability too."

"Excuse me?" Aang used a gust of wind to brush aside one of the last soldiers in his path, clearing the way for the rear guard to begin marching.

"You must be deaf not to have heard what I told Sokka."

"He was out of line, I admit, but still," he stood still, turning to face the carnage that was wrecked behind him, and grew sick. The monks had taught him how to focus in self defense, which was what his mind told him this whole field was, one big self defense class, but now seeing the carnage himself, he… like Sokka before him, was realizing the true nature of what was happening here, and around the world.

"If you're going to throw up, I'd appreciate it if you did it before we marched into those woods. I don't really relish the thought of stepping in someone's lunch, and the ground there is much softer here, I won't be able to see that well for some time."

Ahead of them was a forest of green and brown. And raging red. Smoke billowed from above the sky, and the smell of burnt oak and evergreens caused him pain. "They have no respect for anything," he growled.

"Most armies normally don't," Toph said. She turned to look at him. "Do you think we're any different? Before you answer defiantly look behind you, see your hand in this."

"I was defending myself," he said, trying to convince himself as he said the words.

"True, but in the end of it, that's what war is, isn't it? One side trying to defend itself from the other? Whether defending their land, or their ideals? Look, I'm not saying I'm defending them here, but if you're going to fight, you better understand your enemy… which means understanding that when the fighting starts, there is no difference at that time, you survive or you die. Go charging in like Sokka tried, and…,"

"Okay… I get it," Aang said. "But tell me something, how does the daughter of a noble family know so much about fighting and wars?"

"When you're born physically disabled and 'weak' life is both war and fighting just to survive, Twinkle Toes. You can't do that, and you die." She turned her head and waited for the single. When the alarm was sounded, she sighed. "Now, let's see if you learned anything."

And with a single purpose, with a single determination, the army marched slowly forward.

Sokka grow angrier as each second ticked away. How dare that girl talk to him like this. And why did her words hurt so much. All he wanted was to save and protect his sister, couldn't she see that?

"They're starting to budge a little, sir," one of his commanding officers said, pointing to a rear flank of Fire Nation soldiers back away as the rebel commandos made a slight push. It nearly looked like they were dancing, some kind of odd, brutal dance.

"It's about time," Sokka grumbled. He was also angry and bitter that he could not be among the front lines, serving right along with his "men". "I don't want any of the captives too beaten up if we get any."

"No, sir, I understand you want them for questioning."

"No, I want to kick their asses, before I ask questions," Sokka snapped, making his attendant jump. He looked at the older man and sighed letting his muscles loosen. "Sorry."

"Don't be, I heard about your sister, I'd be angry too. Anger is a good tool to use in war, but it is also from a dangerous emotion to have of the field. It blocks our reason, our good common sense."

"Which does what in the long run?" Sokka snapped again.

The older man laughed, "It teaches us to run for this madness."

"Self-preservation."

The older man nodded. "Of course with family in the way, sometimes self-preservation means more than thinking of ourselves. It means looking to the community as self, not just us." The older man was a good two feet taller than Sokka, his gray eyes bearing into the boy's soul. He had a thing mustache, which ran down his cheeks, and toward his neck, until they reunited. "That's why a nation will fight when invaded. Each soldier does not fight for his or her own right, but the right and life of their neighbors. Even if they're neighbors don't agree with them politically, religiously, or otherwise. They're freedom their life is much more precious than the individual soldier's," he gave a hoarse laugh, "with the exception that the neighbor wasn't trying to use the same ideologies as the enemy."

"What happens then?" Sokka had again forgotten the fight, this time instead of being wrapped around his hate, he was enthralled with the man's reasoning.

"You familiar with the saying, a house against itself can not stand?"

Sokka shook his head.

"Not many of the children of your age are, a shame that is. It applies to all things, even the soul and the battle within." He cocked his head and smiled. "Looks like we've got them, laddie."

Sokka looked up at where the old man looked, and felt his pulse race. A white flag, the enemy had surrendered their positions. He turned to thank his companion, frowning as an empty space greeted him. He looked around and then called a solider over, asking where the man had gone.

Sokka frowned and blinked as the soldier asked him who he meant. "The captain that was right here!"

"Sir, you were standing there by yourself, just staring at the point of combat. Actually, sir, that's what allowed us to win. A lot of the men saw you staring there, no fear, no emotion whatsoever, almost as if you knew we'd win, and were brought to enough courage that we charged them the last two times, and broke their lines wide open. Lost twenty men, but we got a good chunk of their forces in irons now."

"But… but I know there was a person here. I spoke to him, I could feel the warmth of his body in this cool air!" He went on to describe the man, and the boy blinked.

"There was a captain like that in our forces sir, but that was nearly two hundred years ago. He's been dead for a very long time."

Sokka felt a twinge of both shock and fear, then relaxed, as if a grandparent was right next there to soothe him. He smiled and exhaled.

"Should I be worried, sir?"

"No… no, its nothing. Bring anyone who you think might know what happened in the sneak attack, to my tent. And send a messenger hawk to Toph, let her know we've got the land. Now all we need to know is what to do with it."

"Yes, sir."

Katara opened her eyes, briefly, only to smell strong ale, and sweat. She turned her head one way, and then to the next… and began to wish she had not. There was also the smell of blood, fresh blood, and she could hear the cries of innocent people.

"Welcome, to my playground," she heard his voice say. From the shadows, like a demon birthed of darkness, Zhao walked out, next to a woman the same age he was. Given the choice, Katara would have choice, Zhao. "Well, hers really. I just find it fascinating to watch." He inched in and smiled. "What happens next, of course matters only how willing you are to cooperate." As he finished speaking, the cold, steel door that lead to freedom, and which had led these monsters in here, slammed shut, and Katara heard the piercing screams of a man, and the sizzle of flesh.

_**Ziggy's Corner: Don't you just LOVE cliffhangers? Hehe yeah, I know I'm evil. I'm hoping to send more chapters than just this to be fair to you, although to be fair to my long suffering fans of this story, I might only update one chapter, and get straight to work on the next one, so no one else loses faith in the story.**_

_**I've had a hard time with writer's block, and the loss of notes. Been sick, gotten over it, and worked on my drawings and poems (heck at least block hasn't destroyed ALL my creativity.) At anyrate, never lose hope. Even if it takes ten years, this story WILL continue!**_


	20. Moon spirit

_**Ziggy's Corner: New computer, I guess we can all thank Santa for this, as my old one needs to go to the repair place to get a BIOS code reset. So that's why we have not had many updates. That and its been a while since I have looked over my notes, so just be patient with me guys! Anyway the fans wanted more Katara and Zhao. And as it just so happens that's what my notes told me to put in to this chapter, therefore; everyone can be happy! This happens the same of period as the last chapter did.**_

Katara opened her eyes, the light blue orbs scanning the bleak room. _Here we go again_. Footsteps alerted her to someone was coming, and the girl sighed. She knew who it was without even seeing him. "Isn't this getting quite… old?" she growled as he walked through the doors.

"Perhaps," Zhao said, his gold brown eyes shining in the darkness. "What do you say we just skip formalities and you allow me know where your friends and that traitor prince are?"

"Why not skip the formalities and release me so I can kick your butt already, you sick freak," Katara shot back. She smiled as she stared at his angry, inhuman, face. He made a fist, pulled back his arm, and growled, making her brace for the impact of the strike. He laughed, pulling back and turning from her.

"You are not worth my time," he quipped. He walked up to a table and examined the devices set up on it.

"Why keep me here then?" Katara demanded, struggling against her chains. Her mind raced, there was no source of water, nothing she could use as a weapon.

"Strip her," he said, blandly to two guards in the room. He smirked even fiercer as he heard her gasp. "Of course not naked, but down to what is the most necessary."

"Like I said, Zhao, you are a sick freak," Katara screamed. She twisted and turned against her binds, which held her up so that she was constantly standing on her feet. Her ankle and foot where she had been tortured before began to cry in protest, and had the chains not kept her up, she would have dropped to her knees.

Zhao laughed and crossed her arms. "Well isn't that just perfect, had those chains not have been there, you might have been in the position your class were born to be in, down on your knees to kiss your superior's feet."

"You need some serious help, Admiral," Katara growled, grunting as one of the soldiers finally managed to finish taking off the last of her immediate clothing.

"From where I am standing, it appears you would be the one who needs the help, my dear," he said, raising an eyebrow. "But I most definitely assure you, that no help will be coming." He picked up a large bat, loaded with nails and spun it around on its handle. "Now, where would those friends of your's be?"

"Ask Jet," Katara said, feeling her pulse begin to race as she looked at the evil stick. "He was the one to kidnap me, he knew where to strike, the best bet is to ask and or interrogate him."

Zhao approached her slowly, twirling the bat in his hands, and shrugged mockingly. "I'd love to, honestly I would my dear, but there are two things blocking my way… one would be that Jet is currently an ally in our war to conquer these miserable islands, it does not make sense to attack an ally in the middle of a slow takeover while you still have plenty of enemies waiting to kill you already."

"And the second?" she hissed.

"I was just wondering if you sang as well as your dear mother did," he said with a chuckle as he walked behind her.

The room seemed to spin as they talked, for both of them. Seconds ticked away miserably slow before the first blow was struck, and as it hit, Katara felt the skin, some veins and muscle being slashed away. Her mind was a symphony of shock and agony, trying desperately to block the pain from the rest of her body, but then came the second and a minute or two later the third.

Katara's arms were limp, and though the chains tried to keep her standing, the young woman simply dropped, which cause new pain as her wrists screamed in protest as new pressure squeezed at them. Katara cried, her tears falling to the floor in a puddle of clear and dark red, water mixed with blood. "Bastard," she gasped.

"So I have been told on more than one occasion," Zhao said with a sly, irritating shrug. He dropped the bloody bat and went to the table. "I do hope you are willing to cooperate, it could be a very short interrogation if you do not."

"Don't like taking your time do you?" she demanded. Her body was pleading for rest, for her to reveal her mind's inner most secrets.

"Time is something that's never been very kind to me, why should I just ignore that?" He smiled and picked up a very evil looking small screw. "Have you ever heard of these, wonderful devices? Thumb screws they are called. And guess what? They come from these very islands you seem to think are so wonderful!" His grin was so repulsive that she could do nothing but spit at it. This time he did strike her, so hard her neck cracked, and she passed out.

When she woke up, she still saw his evil eyes, his smug smile. Her mind raced with pain, her fingers screeching for some reason, and as she looked down, she noticed the thugs pressing the points of the metal screws tightly against her flesh. Katara rose her head screaming with agony as those demonic points pierced her flesh and began to slowly twist upward, towards her bones. "Stop it, please," she cried and whimpered.

The fresh pain subsided for a moment as he waved his arm, and knelt down beside her. "Then give me the information we want," he hissed. His breathe smelled of strong ale, and harsh meat. "Then you can rest."

_The information, Katara! Just tell him where to find Aang. It's not so hard. Who knows, Aang is resourceful, he'd find a way to get away. _The thoughts poisoned her mind. _Its not worth this torment. _Her eyes tried to scan toward the table, where dozens of even wickeder looking things than these screws. "I'd sooner sell my soul, than betray them," she snarled, her body shaking in dismay.

"You have your mother's temper," Zhao said, his eyes twinkling. "She was quite … fun."

"There is no soul in your body, is there?" Katara cried, and then screamed as the screws penetrated deeper into her fingers.

"My child, souls are just legends, when we die, all we are left with are stories told by frightened people, or admirers. I prefer to have legends told of my greatness. That is my right. It was what I was born to do."

"Someone needs to get off their high horse and paranoid messianic ideals, I think," the girl said.

Somewhere in the castle she could hear voices, some harsh, others more pleasant. How people could be having such an interesting time, when another person was in the gravest amount of suffering? She screeched and blacked out, relief at having the agony end… at least for only a little while.

She began to stir a little, her eyes fluttering gently as she turned her head too and fro. Her back seemed to beg for her to go back to sleep, to simply end its torment. Her fingers were numb, as if someone had rubbed ice on them for too long. When Katara finally did wake, she was laying on a bed, her wrists and ankles tied to it, but it was more comfortable that what she had been on a while back.

There was a gleam of sunshine in the one window in the room, but whether it was morning sun, or afternoon, she wasn't sure. She looked down, and saw her clothing except for her top and bottom inner garments were removed, her waist covered with a bandage, that was slightly red in color.

"Its about time you woke," the hard and vicious voice said… thick with smug intent.

"Go to the spirit world already," the girl croaked. Katara bit her lips, her muscles tightening as she spoke.

"Give the prisoner some water to drink," Zhao barked at someone out of sight.

"No… please… don't go to any lengths of false hospitality on my account." The snide comment racked her body and throat in fire, but it was worth it to feel his bitterness slam into her. If he could hurt her with physical pain, the least she could do was make him injured with mental.

"I suggest you swallow your pride," Zhao said. He watched the woman take a cup and place it on the girl's lips, forcing her to swallow. "We need to keep you alive, if nothing else, to bring my ultimate prize to me."

"Aang is stronger than you, when he does come, you'll regret it," Katara snarled, her throat softer as dry flesh became moist again.

"There are more prizes that are greater than a single boy of power," Zhao said with his evil grin. His eyes watched her … studied her. He was waiting to see if she could understand what he meant.

"Your need for glory is sad," Katara said softly, turning her gaze away from him.

"Your faith is even sadder," he quipped. "But enough of such trivial talk, are you ready to tell use where your friends are?"

"You must have a learning problem if you think I'd just tell you anything like that after the last round."

"True, I discovered that physical pain isn't enough to break you, though I should have guessed," he laughed. "You're mother was that way too."

"You don't know anything about her," Katara shouted, her body thrashing as if it struggled against the last throes of pain and death.

"I know enough about her to see her rage in your own actions," the wicked man said, tapping his chin.

"My mother was a good woman, a kind woman, she had no darkness about her," Katara cried.

"So says the words of a devoted child who has lived in ignorance for far too long," Zhao said. He began to pace. "The fact was your mother was bored with her life in that stupid little village."

"Shut up," Katara screamed, shocking herself at the rage in her voice.

"She was tired of being a little wife, to a fisherman who was too drawn to the sea and warfare to even remember his own family."

Her heart was beating against her chest so hard she could hardly breathe. Sweat trickled down across her forehead, her brown strands of hair clinging to her skin. She shook her head. "You don't know anything?"

"Don't I?" Zhao said with a smile. He turned and glared at her. "Then why do I sense your anger at your father… an anger your mother had, one that is very justified. After all, your mother died to protect you… and what does he do?"

"He went to go and stop monsters like you from hurting anyone else," she sniveled.

"Do not be so naïve, he wanted revenge. He was only thinking of himself. 'Those big bad Fire Nation bastards took something from _me, _so I'm going to make them pay.' He never even took a second thought that he still _had_ something left, something to keep. All he wanted was revenge."

"That isn't true," Katara cried, her chest hurt, the room seemed to spin around as she watched him. _What is going on with me? He's an ass, an evil demon, why am I letting him get to me like this?_

"No? It doesn't seem like you agree with your own words." He knelt down beside her and held her chin in his hand. "Katara, I know what its like not to have a parent. My own father was a bounty hunter, and loved gold and jewels to his own son. In the end, it cost him his life, and he was a broke and forgotten fool. My mother died of a broken heart. I still remember seeing her lie on her cot, crying out to that pathetic, weak being." His eyes were burning with dark promises, of hidden fires that seemed to touch Katara somewhere she didn't realized existed. "But your mother… your mother was different. When she died, it was one of realization in her eyes."

"My mother died in my and my brother's arms. Her last words were of love for our father," Katara growled, trying to shake the cobwebs out of her head.

"I mean her spiritual death and new awakening," Zhao said. "I saw strength in her eyes when she realized the truth about her husband, your father. The only reason she said what she did to you and your brother was to defend you from something she didn't think you were ready to embrace yet."

"No," Katara hissed, pulling away from Zhao's grip. Her resolve was strong, but the walls to her heart and soul were beginning to ebb at his words. "I don't believe any of this."

"Not most of it you do not," Zhao said, "but I can tell you're beginning ready to allow your old self to die, to become a Volcano Hawk, reborn of the flames." He stood up and paced again.

There was an irritating silence with the exception of his footsteps, which seemed to match the beat of her heart. She closed her eyes, trying to remember stories Gran-gran told her and the other children to block out the boots, but a part of her kept a careful ear to those steady beats of his feet.

"He won't be able to restore peace you know," Zhao said.

"What?" the change of tactics shocked her, and wrapped stronger webs around her mind.

"The Avatar, he might try, and perhaps he will even defeat the Fire Lord, but all the same, there will be no peace. The victors of the war will demand many things against my nation…,"

"Which they are entitled to," she hissed.

"Perhaps, from a certain point of view, but it will be the more radical viewpoints who will speak out. And it will be those same voices that will be the most heard, despite his best efforts to listen to everyone. The radicals will have their egos stroked, and the poor will continue to suffer. Worse, those of my country will live bitterly even longer than a hundred years because of the arrogance of a few, and a worse war will break out for revenge." He stared at her blue eyes and smiled darkly again at her blank look. "And then the other side will want revenge, and back and forth it will go. No one Avatar will be able to control the peace."

"You don't know that," Katara said, her own tone matching Zhao's darkness.

"You are as naïve about politics as you are your own family, Katara," Zhao snapped. "The radicals will demand to be heard, and demand the Avatar be their puppet, or quick military action will begin again. And it won't matter if they are quickly brought down, other fringe elements will demand their piece of the pie. No matter how strong he is, or might become, in the end, the Avatar is but one man."

"Aang will bring peace, even people on your own island question the policies of your Fire Lord," she said. Her eyes seemed to be growing dimmer, and her heart picked up as Zhao approached her again, but she was determined not to show weakness.

"Even if he tried to be a guardian for everyone, instead of a weapon for one, there would be excellent propaganda from the fringe to divide people against the Avatar."

"That isn't true," Katara snapped.

"Are you aware that there is an Earth Kingdom Nation that condemns the Avatar, in fact… holds an Avatar Day where they can fume their hatred of him and his past lives?" He smiled again, why was he so cheerful now? When she had no comment for him he shrugged. "The fringe will simply say that the Avatar is the new Fire Lord, that he does not care about the poor here…. Or the miserable there. He only cares about enforcing _his_ will on others, just as the Fire Nation did before him. And in the end, there will continue to be war."

"You sure do hold firm in your faith to the bitterness and darkness of the human spirit," Katara said, turning her eyes from him again.

"It comes from living and experiencing the truth about life," Zhao said, his tone growing a little calmer and warmer.

"I don't think you have any idea about what truth even is, Zhao."

He shrugged and stretched. "You should get some rest, the more you resist, the longer you'll be here."

"And the minute I speak, you'll end up slitting my throat," she spat.

"Not necessarily," Zhao said, his tone harder again. "Things are on the horizon of change, it is very possible that I could gain a higher standing, and I'd need to have someone by my side to cement that power."

"Are you hitting on me?" her eyes were huge, saucer like, and for a moment there was a strong urge to throw up anything she had eaten in the last week.

"Do not flatter yourself, child. I wasn't talking about a wife," his eyes scanned her body, and he felt himself grin as she paled. "But an apprentice would be more beneficial to you."

"Sorry, not interested in becoming a mental, butcher with deluded egomaniac tendencies." She frowned, why would he need an apprentice in the ways of being an admiral?

"The offer is still there, when you want it, I assure you. But for now, perhaps you should just sleep." The dangerous man turned from the girl, and stormed out of the room, the slam of the door behind him jarring her bones.

Katara lay on the cot for the rest of the day, and right up into the night. As darkness arrived, she could feel the pull of the moon, spy its gentle illumination, in the window on the other side of the room. "Perhaps I should just give up," she cried to herself.

_Never give up, daughter of the sea. _The voice was gentle, feminine, and etched with power that could shatter a mountain without half trying.

"Who is there?" Katara asked, jolting up as best as the restraints would allow her. Her heart pounded, her lips grew dry, and she watched the room intently. "Who are you? Is this just another sick game that Zhao devised?"

_I do not play games, I assure you, young maiden. _It was a mixture of age, and of youth, wisdom and energy. _There is no need to try and see in the shadows, I rarely visit them, any more than my cousin, Tai-Ye does. _

"If you aren't hiding in the shadows, then why can't I see you?" Katara cried. A moment of horror struck her, then suspicion. Both their voices were loud, either one would be enough to alert the guards outside the door that there was more than one person in here. And since they weren't charging in to investigate, that meant only one thing.

_I do not work for Zhao, young maiden._

"Then who do you work for?" Katara hissed.

The air around the light of the moon seemed to ripple, as if the air was water, and someone had tossed a pebble into the pool. It revealed a young maiden with light black hair that glimmered with silver specks. Her eyes were colored white as snow, pale blue pupils in the middle of them. She wore the clothing of the Water Tribe, but not exactly modern clothing, more like something worn millennia ago, during a time when Katara's people first began to learn the secrets of water bending.

"You're a spirit," Katara said, and the other girl nodded.

_I am the spirit of the moon,_ the spirit said. _The guardian of your and every other water tribe on the planet. _

"You shouldn't have come, the guards will here and…,"

_My dear girl, you must be tired. I am a spirit, those men behind that door can do nothing unless I wish it. They aren't even aware of the fact that we are speaking._

"Then you've come to free me," Katara said, her body filling with hope. The Moon Spirit frowned sadly.

_I can not do that either, I am afraid. That is not my path, it is not my destiny to free you here. _She could see the pain and confusion in her eyes. _I can simply encourage you not to give up._

"And why shouldn't I?" Katara screamed. "My body is so weak, it feels as if it will surrender before I even decide whether to do so or not." The Moon Spirit walked to her, examined her wounds, and placed an icy hand on her, closing her eyes. There was brightness around her, which soared into Katara's body. Warmth overtook the girl, and her bones cried in relief.

_You are not so weak now, child. I have granted you some of my energy to endure, and wait for the proper moment to make your own escape. _

"Make my own escape?" Katara frowned.

_Did you think you were a princess with no skill but beauty? _The Moon Spirit giggled. _You are very beautiful, Katara. The man who marries you will understand that, but he will also understand your will is as strong as iron, and your strength can match his own. That much I can indeed, tell you. _She frowned, and looked at the door.

"What is it?" Katara asked.

_Events are escalating faster than anyone in the Spirit World feared. Ambition and ancient powers of evil are growing stronger by the second. _She turned to Katara. _You will face off with a powerful darkness. Try to defeat it here if you can. _

"And if I can't?"

_If you can not defeat it here, you will need all the help your friends can grant to you. But bewared, maiden of ice. If you are not able to defeat it here, there is great sadness in your future._

"Will the Fire Nation win the war then?" Katara gasped.

_If you can not defeat the evil here, even the Fire Nation will be consumed with a darkness Fire Lord Ozai never thought possible. _The Moon Spirit began to back away, and finally melted into the light.

He studied the papers on his desk by the light of the candles. Vigilantly he peeled through them, absorbing the words in front of him. Rebel forces had hurt the Fire Nation on multiple fronts, but only small multiple fronts, and not that many of them were even united. It told him that the Rebel base would probably be in one of three areas circled in red.

"Admiral Zhao," one of his attendants pushed open his doors, and hurried in with new papers. "These just arrived from the Fire Lord. It seems that with the princess' urgings, the good general was ordered to leave for Angel Seal Bay, a good two weeks journey from here."

Zhao frowned, and tapped his chin. "I see, and what does that mean for us?"

"The Princess is taking complete control of the governmental matters here, while she says you are to take absolute military control of our forces," the nervous man said. "She requests that you report to this island here in a few hours, to be debriefed in the situation."

"What about the prisoner?" Zhao said. He clenched his fists, his eyes narrowing.

"Princess Azula has said she will take over the interrogation of the prisoner, sir. You are expected to find her brother, and bring him over to her."

"And the Avatar?" Zhao growled.

"And any other rebel or traitor you might find, sir," the attendant nodded.

Zhao uttered dozens of curses in different dialects he'd picked up on the fronts he'd fought on and tossed the desks and chair across the room in a fit of insane rage. He only calmed down when he realized that the attendant had fled in terror, and straightened out his clothes. And then he smiled.

He expected this to happen. He had hoped he could have had his men secure the rights to take Katara to the island, so that he could continue to work with her, but that would have to wait for another time. He picked up his map, and smirked. No doubt the scout he had ordered to gain the princess' trust had done his job. He scribbled a note, and sent a messenger hawk flying to one of his men in Azula's camp. Within the next day, the scout would be dead… so that might not reveal anything about his Admiral's intent.

Then Zhao turned and began to pack his belongings. Everything was going his way… all the pawns were doing exactly what he wanted.

And so ends this chapter, it felt good to do it. I like it better than the last one, and hopefully it's a lot less confusing than the last one. Alas… hehe here we go again, I'm not absolutely sure where my notes are to tell me what happens next, so tomorrow I shall begin to look for them. Rest assured even if it takes ten years, this story will indeed reach the end! I hope I'm still entertaining you all! Oh, one last thing. Remember this takes place in the first season, before the kids reach the North Pole, so for any of you fans who look at the Moon Spirit, and say, "Hey dude, that ain't what Yue looks like, just remember this. The Moon Spirit talking to Katara in this chapter, is the Spirit before Yue, the one Zhao kills in the series. And yes I realize she decided to be a fish in the mortal realm, but again two points. 1. This is alternative universe, though I didn't mean for it to be originally. 2. Spirits can have lots of different forms. How else do you explain TWO pysical bodies, the fish and the moon at the same time? Just thought I'd throw that in there.


	21. azula's power

_**Ziggy's Corner: Chapter 21 by my count. I hate having my notes on two small yellow pages, but on the same side, even if they had been on large paper, they'd have gotten lost at this rate. This chapter is a divided one, between Azula and Katara, and Zuko's mindframe. **_

_**_____________________________________________________________**_

Azula approached Katara, her golden eyes burning with bloodlust and desire for revenge. This was the girl who had sliced her hair… who had dared to touch her better. Her nose winkled painfully at the stench of sweat and blood, and at the same time, it excited her. "I do wish I had been here before Zhao had the chance to talk to you."

Katara looked up at the evil young woman, her eyes focused at her face. There was nothing prim and proper about it, or her demeanor for that matter. Half of her face was hid by a mask, though it could not hide some of the slivers of her scars. Watching Azula slink toward her was as if she was watching a wild animal approach its prey. "I bet you do," Katara snapped. "It must be infuriating that a lowly admiral could beat you to the prize."

"Shut your mouth, you lowly peasant," Azula snapped, her eyes bulding to the size of plates. Her body shook, her fingers twited as she studied the other girl. "You think you have the right to speak to your master like that?"

"Last I had heard, it was Zhao who'd bought me, not you," Katara quipped, narrowing her blue eyes. Her body groaned with effort to keep her head up, to stare at the other young woman in the face. Zhao's abuse had left her broken… but he hadn't destroyed her completely. She could only thank the moon spirit that he'd been pulled away before he could continue to pollute her mind with his distorted ideas about her mother. "So you are no master to me."

Azula stood motionless for a moment, gritting her teeth. Then with the swipe of a perfectly pedicured hand, clawed Katara across her face. She watched the Water Tribe girl's neck twist as her head batted to the left, and cocked her head, her body calming down. "I have no interest in using you as he did," she said, her voice cold and demanding. Katara looked up, and noticed that her eye color had changed. Her eyes were no longer predatory gold, but a more dead and mechanical silver gray, with a few veins flaring around them.

"You are nothing to me," Azula said, methodly walking around the room. Her shoes clacked on the ground, making Katara whince with each step… it was if someone was clawing a chalkboard. "None of you are important to me." She stopped and stared out the window. "Do you think I don't know why father sent me here?" she smiled and allowed herself to laugh. "Because he didn't trust me. He wanted to make sure I was out of the way."

"Some father," Katara snarled. "Sounds like he deserves to win the provider of the year award to me."

"He wanted me out of the way," Azula continued, oblivious to the other girl in the room, "because he feared my power." Her fingers flexed… her skin burning with a fire that made her feel invincible. _This is close to what great grandfather felt when the comet came._ "But he should have _never_ sent me here," she hissed with an animalistic growl in her throat. "I've discovered something… something people have long since forgotten." She began pacing again, her eyes again gold as the flames turned cold. "Something I have touched, but can not hold." Her head snapped to look at the other girl, her face twisted in anger and frustration.

"Do you know what its like to hold such supreme power, and not understand how to make it come to you at beck and command?" she thrust her self at Katara, striking at the other girl with her fists and nails. "You have no right to be in the same room with me, to even look at me!" Tears ran down her cheeks as she continued her assault, her blows breaking skin and bringing out more blood. Her breathe was labored, and finally after a few minutes Azula dropped to her knees, gasping for air, her eyes full of hate.

Katara lay on her side, her ribs flaming. Her face was full of blood and tears. _She's insane, a monster._ She wanted to try to reason or even further speak out in defiance, but her throat screamed as she swallowed and wept. She knew there was no reason to even try and speak. _How am I going to survive this? This isn't an interrogation… its an exicution!_

************

"Prince Zuko, I hirely recommend you return to your quarters," Iroh snapped. He stormed through the rebel corridor, trying to keep pace with his young relative. "This is suicide, you're not strong enough to go after Jet."

"Then I'll find Zhao and make him return Katara," Zuko growled, his own golden eyes burning with a fierce determination. He was dressed in the dark green and soft yellow of the Earth Kingdom. A silver stripe on his shoulder showed people he had some influence in the rebel movement, something he reluctantly accepted from General Adam. "Even if I have to rip out his throat to do it." He continued to march down the corridor, stopping as a stab of pain in his ribs forced him to grimace, and slump to a gray wall.

"And how do you expect to fight someone like Zhao with an inury like that," his uncle shouted. "Of all the fire headed things you've done, this is the most stupid!"

"I will not allow people to fight my battles for me," Zuko shouted back, his eyes turning dark. "I won't hide from my responcibilities, or my destiny."

"So your destiny is to get yourself killed in a vain attempt to save the girl, is it?" Iroh had long considered himself a patient, and forgiving man. But that was pushing him to the breaking point. "You will throw away your life for nothing! That is what you call destiny?" his voice rose and echoed along the corridor, causing a few people who were walking in it to stop and look. One attendant tried to approach, to see what was going on, but Iroh turned his gaze on the young man, and made him retreat so fast it was as if he had never even been there at all.

Iroh's white bearded face etched with vexation, and he narrowed his eyes. "What you need to do is rest, and get better. Once you are healed, with your new friends by your side, then you can save Katara."

Zuko slumped his head against the wall, watching the old man, but saying nothing. He knew what Iroh was saying was true, but he had so much to make up for. All the ill he had done in trying to choice a destiny that would better only one man, and that man was not even himself! He'd been a puppet, and so desperate to have his father's understanding, he'd allowed the strings to be pulled. "I have to do this, I have to regain my honor," he whimpered. He saw his uncle glare and open his mouth, and rose a hand…, "Not the honor and destiny I once believed in, but the one that reads where I do my part to save everything… not just the Fire Nation."

"And there is only one way to do that," Iroh said, his anger burning away.

"I know what you are going to say, but stop and think. There is something wrong in these islands. You have heard the general, and you've heard the avat…, you've heard Aang. There's a darkness erupting here that needs everyone to stop."

"You can't stop that darkness by yourself, and certainly not in a weakened state," Iroh said, his anger snuffed, but his determination growing. "If you choice this road, if you go this path, I have no doubt you will come face to face with this evil. But if that happens, you will end up being swallowed up by it."

Zuko was caught in thought. "You aren't my father, you can't stop me from doing what I have to."

Iroh's shoulder's slumped, and he looked away. He knew his nephew was correct. Especially not in a corridor like this. It would be odd if he were to try and attack someone who had risen so quickly in ranks in the rebel forces for leaving. "At least do not do this alone."

"He won't have to," General Adam said, coming up. The general didn't like the lose of the prince any more than his uncle did. But things could not be helped. "I want to dispatch a small brigade… and I want you two to lead it." He stopped and crossed his arms. "And I want you to take the avatar with you."

Zuko frowned, straining to get up. "Why Aang? Don't you need him here?"

"My men are more confident with Sokka at the wheel now that we've struck a few victories. And I'm confidant of the young man's leadership ability." He looked away and turned back as a group walked passed them. "More importantly, we've heard that there is a change in tactics from the enemy. Zhao was apparently ordered to leave for a different island. Only Azula is left here now."

"You are hoping in ending the fight by capturing the most powerful piece of the game," Iroh surmised.

"Something like that. I don't doubt that Zhoa kept your friend in the same prison area here on this island. So capturing the princess, and rescuing your friend at the same time should be a proper motivator."

"Isn't Jet still on the island?" Zuko growled.

"Yes… that's another reason I wanted Sokka to lead the men who remain here," General Adam said. "He has the most experience with that boy than anyone here, save for the avatar. And we need him to focus on the princess." He turned to the prince. "You want to do this, then this will be your one and only chance. Otherwise I can have you put into solitary confimenment until your injuries completely heal on the basis that your refused to obey a senior officer."

Zuko turned his eyes away from the older man. He didn't know who he was talking to, he didn't know what Zuko was capable of. But then again, there was his uncle. _I wouldn't put it past Uncle Iroh to have told him what I can do and be like._ Iroh's eyes told him everything he needed to know. "Alright, I agree."

************

Azula gained control of her senses, running her hands through her hair and glaring at Katara. "Now you see my dilema," she barked. "I possess a power of ancient years… but I can not control it."

"What a shame, perhaps you need lessons," she croaked, forcing herself to ignore the pain.

"I need my focus, my hared." Her eyes dimmed and turned silver for a moment, then flashed back to normal, and she scowled with frustration. "I don't give a damn if the avatar comes for you or not… you water peasent. What I do hope however is that Zuzu comes."

"Zuzu?" Katara's head pounded as she pushed herself to her knees. "You're brother. You mean Zuko. But why him?"

"You mean its not obvious… you can't tell?" her voice snapped bitterly. Azula rose to her full, proper height, and reached up for her mask, pulling it away from her face. There was a watery sloshing sound as it pealed away, as if it was trying to stay united with the girl. The evil that was within Azula could be plainly seen in her face, which at one time had been so acclaimed for its beauty.

Her one eye was much larger than the other, the flesh burned away from the orb. Her skin was brown and gray, with flecks of pink skin here and there. "He did this…," she growled. She saw horror, horror that she had never seen on the face of her victims before she had been scarred. There was a devilish glee that filled her body. "I want revenge, that is what is the secret to the power." She narrowed her eyes, and approached Katara, picking her up by her hair. "You have the hint of his stench on him, you and he are connected in more ways than one."

Katara felt her body go limp, and the darkness began to take her. _No, you can't do this, Katara. If you pass out now, then there'll be nothing left! I won't die here, at the claws of this maniac!_ She searched inward, feeling a light she hadn't known was there.

Katara found herself in a long tunnel, guided by the light. She walked toward the beam of golden and silver rays, at speeds that didn't seem human, let alone mortal. Walls of silver and diamond hugged on her on both sides, and seemed to stand guard as she passed, almost saluting her as a lower soldier would a long awaited officer. "Where am I?" She spoke the words, but they didn't come from her mouth.

"It is not important, sweetie," a very familiar, warm and comforting voice echoed in her head. Katara turned, and found herself in the center of a room so massive that it looked like it could fit the world five times over within its borders. Katara found her eyes grow wide with shock. Kya looked at her daughter proudly, "Hello Katara. What kept you?"

_**Ziggy's Zone: First off, let no one assume I will bow to the will of a flamer, this story will continue until the very end! And with only ten chapters remaining, that will sooner or later come. The scene has been set, the characters have begun to gather, and soon, all hell is going to break loose… next chapter, we'll find out just what Zhao's true aims are, and boy are they far worse than what the comet promises!**_


End file.
